It’s no secret that the injury to Carey Price may have opened the door for Dustin Tokarski to take the backup goalie role into next season.
When Price went down in game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals, it poised a major question to the Canadiens coaching staff, as to whether they stick with current backup Petr Budaj, or go with young inexperienced Tokarski. The staff made a surprising move in going with the 24-year old Tokarski. Budaj played the majority of the regular season behind Price, and filled in for the injured price during the season.
With all three goalies under contract next season, it will be a question of who is the odd man out come this off season?
It’s pretty safe to say that Price will be the starting goalie north of the border next season. The goalie is signed through the 2017-2018 season, with an unrestricted free agent tag for the 2019 season. Making $6.5 million over those years, Price isn’t going anywhere in the long run.
Tokarski is the cheaper option to keep around, if the coaching staff and front office like what they see from him this post season. Dustin is making $575,000 from the Canadiens, while netting $80,000 from their AHL affiliate. Tokarski is set for a pay raise next season, if he is sent down to the AHL, making $135,000, but if the Canadiens decide to keep him on the NHL roster, he’ll be a $550,000 count against the cap.
It’s obvious if the Canadiens want to go the cheaper route, they’re getting a solid backup at a heavily reduced discount.
Now we get to the veteran backup in Peter Budaj. The journeyman back up goalie has seen a raise in his contract every one he has signed. That’s no exception to the deal he signed with the Canadiens. If the front office wants to keep Budaj, he is set to make the same next season as he is making currently, $1.4 million.
Statistically, if you look at the regular season, though Tokarski only played in three regular season games, looks like the better option against Budaj. In his three games, two of which were starts, Tokarski had 1 shutout, and only gave up 5 goals. Having a solid 1.84 goals against average, to Budaj’s 2.51, may have been the reason Dustin got the starting job for the Conference Finals. Budaj was mediocre this season, appearing in 24 games, starting 21 of them. The save percentages speak for themselves as Tokarski led .946% to Budaj’s .909% In this playoffs Budaj filled in during a Canadiens romping for the third period. He faced 8 shots and gave up 3 goals.
Tokarski has stepped up this postseason, he is 1-1 with a solid .925% save percentage.
(Tokarski shutting the door on Martin St. Louis)
This offseason will be an interesting one for the Canadiens, who still have a chance to move onto the Stanley Cup Finals if they can take out the New York Rangers.
At this point, the backup role is Tokarski’s to lose. He is younger, costs less against the cap, and the drop off between him and Budaj is not really much. If he can get a couple more wins, and avoid a blowout game. I’d say come game 1 of next season he’s the backup for Price between the pipes.
photo credit: getty images gifs: officialNHL
