24 November 2008

"Pavelec is the new franchise goaltender for Atlanta"

So I found this article called "Finding Replacement Goalies." Read:

Ondrej Pavelec, G, Thrashers: The reason Schneider doesn't lead the AHL in save percentage is because Pavelec's nine starts still qualify him for the lead. Pavelec was an unceremonious 5-3-1 before being recalled, but his 1.54 goals-against average and league-leading .947 save percentage tell a different story. Kari Lehtonen had this season to shake the label of injury-prone underperformer, but considering his current IR status and terrible stats, the torch has been passed. Pavelec is the new franchise goaltender for Atlanta. It's now just a question of how long it takes for him to grab the reins for good. Johan Hedberg is still starting more games, but the longer Lehtonen is on the IR, the more frequently we should expect to see an improving Pavelec between the pipes. A great goaltender can still have strong fantasy numbers on a bad team (such as Luongo in his Florida Panthers days), and Pavelec has the skills to be a great goaltender. It's just a matter of realizing those skills now. Pick him up if you see any kind of momentum building for him.

No comments: