"Best goaltender in college hockey"; Cheverie signs with Panthers. What next in net for Cats?

I would really like to see Vokoun dealt. He’s been a huge asset to this team while he was here but we have such a solid bullpen of netminders now that it makes no sense to keep him here and pay him $6+ million when we desperately need scorers. There are a few teams that may persue Vokoun (Philly, Lightning, Blues, Minnesota, Dallas), but the real question is: What’s Vokoun worth in the offseason? Can Sexton realistically get equal value? Or will he try to use TVo to move up in the draft?

I think Markstrom is the top long-term talent and they need to let him sit behind Clemmer next year. Trade TVo, get a top center or winger back, resign Tarnasky, Garrison and Duco. Call up Repik and McCardle, and keep them up. Third line of Dvorak, Reinprecht and Repik, fourth line of Duco, Tarnasky and McCardle. Hang on to Big Mac and plug him into the lineup when extra toughness is needed. As for the top two lines, that depends on trades and the draft.

Cheverie may also be the oldest goaltender in college hockey at age 23. Or I could be completely wrong; it’s just at 23 sounds like “working on PhD” to me.

If he’s working on a PHD in goaltending, then let’s bring him on!

Could it be now that we may actually be able to build from “The Net Out” as the phrase sometimes goes?

As for Vokoun, I really like him and he’s actually done quite well here. However we can’t afford not to trade him if we find the right partner. Even if we suffer one season with Clemmensen and Biron?, or whoever. We need offence and he’s going to be about the best way to get it.

If you’re committing to re-building, this signing and Vokoun being dealt make perfect sense. You want the options at goalie.

There are a couple of ways the team could go here. One is, if Vokoun is serious about wanting to stay here and is willing to sign an extension for a lot less money this summer, then it makes some sense to hold on to him. Doing so would give the goalies in the system time to develop. Under this scenario, they’re likely to end up in an Anaheim situation: two starters. But this is not a terrible situation to be in. In this scenario, Clemmensen backs up Vokoun, Markstrom, Cheverie and Salak battle it out in Rochester. Maybe one gets traded or loaned out somewhere.

A more likely scenario sees Vokoun dealt to somewhere like Philadelphia for someone like Jeff Carter. If they’re serious about rebuilding, they will look into these options. Unless they end up with a top three pick, there’s a good chance they trade the pick and player for an upgrade somewhere, rather than Vokoun and a pick for a better pick. I can see more like Vokoun for Carter, then Weiss and one of those seconds for a top six winger. In this scenario, Clemmensen starts with probably Salak backing him up. Or maybe someone like Biron. They really want Markstrom in the A for a year to get used to the North American game before they toss him to the wolves. I’d expect Cheverie to battle him for playing time in Rochester.

If you’re really rebuilding, you know you’re going to have to put a less competitive team out there, so it makes sense to free up a lot of cap space by trading someone like Vokoun, especially with the promising guys in the system. I really think this is likely if the Panthers can get a top-line guy back. And there will be teams looking for goalies after flaming out of the playoffs.