Is Mike Smith a fit for the Flames' crease?
It's no secret the Calgary Flames have a goaltending problem. Could the answer to these crease concerns be Arizona Coyotes netminder Mike Smith?
After acquiring Brian Elliott from the St. Louis Blues last summer, coupled with free-agent addition Chad Johnson, it marked new beginnings in goal for the Flames. But the duo never lived up to expectations, as each netminder struggled for long stretches last season.
While Elliott found his game later on, putting together an impressive 11-game win streak, that performance didn't carry through to the playoffs. Calgary went down in flames in the opening round, with Elliott taking the heat for his team's poor play.
In the series-deciding fourth game, Elliott lasted less than six minutes, allowing one goal on three shots, leaving coach Glen Gulutzan to quickly change hands to Johnson. Elliott's time between the Calgary pipes was all but over.
Outside of the blue paint, there is no doubt the Flames can ice a contending lineup. Dougie Hamilton, T.J. Brodie, and captain Mark Giordano headline one of the league's deepest defensive units, while Johnny Gaudreau and Sean Monahan are young, legitimate scoring threats up front.
Furthermore, help is on the way in prospect netminders Jon Gillies and World Juniors hero Tyler Parsons, who put up top numbers this season in the OHL.
But neither up-and-comer is ready for prime time. A worthwhile stopgap is needed, yet free agency doesn't offer many strong options, with Steve Mason, Ryan Miller, and Jonathan Bernier among the best bets to be available this summer.
That leaves the trade market, which is surely to focus on Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Marc-Andre Fleury. But there are no guarantees he'd accept a move to Calgary, and his greater demand is sure to set a higher price tag.
Enter Smith. The 35-year-old has two years remaining on his contract and could be the perfect short-term solution in Calgary. He was near-dominant this season on a 28th-place Arizona squad, a bounce-back season that saw the veteran netminder named to the All-Star game after injuries limited him to 32 games a year earlier.
Smith was busy this season, seeing plenty of pucks behind a leaky Coyotes defense that allowed 34 shots a night, the second most in the league. But that didn't stop Smith from putting up one of the league's best ratios when facing the competition at 5-on-5, with his .924 save rate ranking among the top 10.
The Flames would need little selling on Smith. A move to Calgary would reunite him with general manager Brad Treliving, who was previously part of the Coyotes' hockey operations. Same with Don Maloney, a Flames pro scout who originally brought Smith to Arizona in 2011 when he served as Coyotes GM. Not many hockey minds could offer a deeper read on Smith.
In Arizona, the coming expansion draft presents the perfect opportunity for the Coyotes to shift gears and add a younger netminder to develop alongside the team's emerging core. In other words, a goaltender to round out and grow alongside a youthful group that will soon be ready to contend.