3 NHL Goalies Whose Roles Will Shrink Next Season

5 days ago  /  NHL Trade Rumors

While some NHL teams have already moved nicely into the two goalie system, there are still the dominant starters in the NHL that hold down that number one spot and aren't contended. Each season goalies move up and down depending on performance and things can change pretty quickly, ask Tristan Jarry, Ville Husso, and Jack Campbell. These are three goalies who are expected to have their roles reduced next season.Cam TalbotThe Detroit Red Wings have been the only team carrying three goalies on their roster for far too long and it is still going on this season with the addition of Petr Mrazek from the Chicago Blackhawks. The thing about Mrazek is the veteran is signed through next season, so the team will be running with 37-year-old Cam Talbot and 33-year-old Mrazek while trying to make the playoffs. This isn't a bad combo, but Mrazek is a better goalie than Husso or Alex Lyon, the two goalies who pushed Talbot for starts this season. Talbot will have to take a step back from being seen as the starter and playing the most games to a likely split or even Detroit favouring Mrazek.Ukko-Pekka LuukkonenDevon Levi is going to be a full-time NHLer next season. He has to. He has been up and down last season and this one and Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen needs help. He has to try to hold a young and inexperienced team in games every night and it just isn't working. The Buffalo Sabres are last in the Eastern Conference and are going to miss the playoffs again. The best case scenario for the Sabres is if they have two younger and hungry goalies fighting for playing time the entire season without the risk of Levi being sent down again. When this happens, Luukkonen may still be the starter, but he is going to lose more starts to Levi than to James Reimer this season.Stuart SkinnerStuart Skinner was never put in a good position in Edmonton because of the bad decision to sign Campbell after limited NHL experience. This caused Skinner to be forced into the number one spot for a playoff team when he was supposed to be the backup for 2-3 years. Mixed with the poor goalie coach that seems to diminish and ruin goalies year after year in Edmonton, Skinner also doesn't have much help. When Calvin Pickard seems to have a good start, he blows up the following game. Skinner's sub-.900 SV% in many of his games loses him starts already, and it hasn't been more apparent that the Oilers need a goalie who can be counted on to make stops. They are going to be looking for an upgrade in net to play alongside Skinner in the offseason.Photo credit: © Sam Navarro-Imagn Images...

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