Prior to last year, Laurent Brossoit wasn't able to prove his NHL potential. He struggled in a lengthy tenure with the Edmonton Oilers serving as the backup to Cam Talbot. Though he showed flashes of brilliance in an eight-game trial back in 2016-17, he started just 10 games two seasons ago and posted a 3.24 GAA and .883 save percentage.
This, of course, raised questions about how he would perform with Winnipeg when signed as a free agent last July; however, he silenced critics with his performance. The 26-year-old netminder broke through going 13-6-2 with a 2.52 GAA and .925 save percentage in 21 games. In fact, his save percentage ranked fifth among goaltenders that played at least 20 games, earned him a one-year extension in May.
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Still, it was in a limited role, playing backup to Connor Hellebuyck — Winnipeg's proven, capable starter who can easily start 60-plus games a season. This season Jets head coach Paul Maurice should — and may have to — divvy up the duties between the two netminders this season.
Why? Because despite a small sample size and the blue line corps in front of him — which was much improved over Edmonton's — Brossoit's performance cannot be considered a fluke as he was able to make big saves, take on a number of shots and stay cool under pressure. His athleticism, lateral movement and hockey IQ are evident in the way he plays while he also showcases a flashy glove and the ability to recover well.
Couple that in with his numbers and confidence in net, and it's easy to see that the Port Alberni, B.C., native is a reliable and stable option at the NHL level.
This past season, Hellebuyck was playing in the first year of a six-year, $37 million deal following a Vezina Trophy finalist season with the Jets. He continued to take on an intense workload after leading all goaltenders in TOI in 2017-18. In 62 starts last year, he went 34-23-3 with a .913 save percentage and 2.90 GAA; not bad numbers, but it was a decline from the previous year, where he boasted a .924 save percentage and 2.36 GAA.
There's no reason for panic, given the dip in his stat line was nothing too dramatic for the 26-year-old starter — but it is something to take into consideration for multiple reasons.
First off: the defense. The Jets don't have the d-corps they had last season, and without Jacob Trouba, Tyler Myers or Ben Chiarot, the Jets will have to put a lot more reliability in its goaltending. Hellebuyck already led all netminders last season in shots against last season (2,051) and with a weaker blue line this time around, even more responsibility will fall onto his plate.
Not to mention, following an early playoff exit in 2019, Winnipeg needs to rebound with not only with a strong finish to the regular season but a deeper postseason run like they saw in 2018 when it reached the Western Conference finals.
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Cutting back on starts is also nothing new. It was seen with some of the league's top goaltenders last season like Vezina Trophy winner Andrei Vasilevskiy (53 starts), Tuukka Rask (45), Vezina Trophy finalist Robin Lehner (43) and Petr Mrazek (40). Their respective clubs made strong decisions to keep these starters in the best possible shape, and in the end, it benefitted the club.
This translates to a drop in games for Hellebuyck to keep him healthy and well-rested for the best possible performance — which leads to stability in between the pipes.
With that being said, it'll be up to Maurice on how to split the duties but with the Jets needing redemption and a strong backend, they shouldn't be afraid to give Brossoit more looks in 2019-20.