Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard has traveled a long road in becoming a No. 1 NHL goaltender.
Since being selected in the second round (64th overall) in the 2003 NHL entry draft, the 26-year-old has gone from being the Wings' goaltender of the future, to nearly an afterthought in the organization, to arguably team MVP and Calder Trophy candidate, to one of the better goaltenders in the NHL.
Red Wings Took Their Time Developing Howard
As an organization, the Red Wings are known for taking their time when it comes to developing prospects; they simply do not rush young players to the NHL. So it was no surprise the University of Maine product spent some time in the minors grooming his game. But in Howard's case, his development had gone at a snail's pace.
He spent four seasons in Grand Rapids, Detroit's American Hockey League affiliate. Outside of a strong first year in the minors, Howard did very little to distinguish himself as a top-flight goaltending prospect. He had been up to the big club a couple of times for brief stints but never received a legitimate shot to stick in the NHL. Despite his talent, Howard was never considered in good enough shape to succeed at the NHL level, and he had constantly been pushed to improve his physical conditioning.
There was even a point where the organization openly wondered if Howard was in fact their future in goal. Detroit spent a first-round pick in the 2008 NHL entry draft on goaltender Thomas McCollum. Instead of having Howard be the backup to Chris Osgood during the 2008-2009 campaign following the retirement of Dominik Hasek, the Wings went out and signed veteran free agent Ty Conklin.
Howard Made the Most of His Opportunity Last Season
Howard finally got his chance to stick with the Wings at the start of last season. The plan was to have him be the backup to Osgood and perhaps play 25 games. However, when Osgood went down with the flu in November and missed a number of starts, Howard received extensive playing time and was impressive. He would not relinquish his grasp on the No. 1 job, posting a 37-15-10 record with a 2.26 goals-against average and .924 save percentage. Howard finished second in Calder Trophy voting as the league's top rookie, and without him, the Wings possibly do not make the playoffs for a 19th consecutive year.
Scheduled to be a Free Agent Following 2010-11 Season
But just as Howard is finally entrenched as Detroit's No. 1 goalie, questions once again surface as to whether or not he will be the team's long-term answer in net.
Howard is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of this season, and his value keeps going up. There does not appear to be a sophomore slump in store for the native of Ogdensburg, New York, as he is already off to a 4-0-1 start with a 2.14 goals-against average and .925 save percentage. He has gone 20 consecutive games without losing in regulation time after defeating the Anaheim Ducks Saturday.
Wings' GM Holland Not Known to Spend Big on Goaltenders
The question remains whether Red Wings general manager Ken Holland is willing to break the bank to keep Howard in the fold.
Holland's philosophy, particularly in the salary-cap era, has been to allocate most of his money on the defensive corps and elite, two-way forwards, and then go bargain-hunting for a middle-of-the-pack netminder. With more teams employing a puck-possession style of game such as the Red Wings, the onus is more on the play of the defense than on a goaltender. This season, the Wings are paying less than a combined $2 million on the tandem of Howard and Osgood. Meanwhile, Detroit's top four defensemen - Nicklas Lidstrom, Brian Rafalski, Brad Stuart and Niklas Kronwall - are earning a combined $19.45 million.
What makes any potential negotiations with Howard so intriguing is the fact Detroit has invested so much time developing him into a legitimate NHL goaltender. The Wings likely aren't eager to see Howard leave for greener pastures after spending nearly a decade in their system. In the end, Holland will likely reward Howard with a contract that sees him earn much more than $800,000 - his 2010-11 salary.
But no matter how good he is, Howard is not an exception to the rule. If he wants to remain in Detroit, and play for a perennial Stanley Cup contender, he must be willing to take less than what he could command on the open market.
So do not expect Holland to change his philosophy over a sophomore goaltender. However, do not expect Howard to play anywhere but in Detroit next season, either.
Kostas Bolos - Kostas Bolos has a deep passion for sports. He's also very opinionated. Suite101 is the ideal platform for him to express his views on a ...
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