Perhaps Ville Husso’s agent, Todd Diamond, wasn’t as direct as the title might suggest; but that doesn’t change the facts. The message is that a large number of teams are interested in his client.
As a result, the market is going to be – as they say – “robust.” (from “LeBrun rumblings: What Anthony Duclair’s injury means for Florida’s pending unrestricted free agents, Pierre LeBrun, The Athletic, 29/06/2022).
Still, it ends up the same. If you are an NHL team and you need a good, young goalie – be ready to pay. It looks as if free agency is going to pay well for Diamond’s client.
Related: NHL Trade Talk Podcast: Ep. 1 — Getting Ready for the 2022 NHL Draft
Husso’s Successful Season Will Likely Help Set Him Up Well
On the season, the 27-year-old St. Louis Blues goalie put together a record of 25-7-6 (including two shutouts), a goals-against-average of 2.56, and a save percentage of .919. As Diamond noted earlier in the week, “He’s put himself in a very good position.”
Diamond then added on Wednesday, “Let’s see what happens here coming up.”
NHL Teams That Are Looking for Goalies
In an article published earlier today, The Daily Faceoff made a list of NHL teams who need a goalie. These include:
- The Colorado Avalanche: Will Darcy Kuemper sign somewhere else?
- The Vegas Golden Knights: Can Robin Lehner even play next season?
- Edmonton Oilers: Mike Smith is hurt; and, will he be able to return? Who will play with Stuart Skinner?
- The Toronto Maple Leafs: Will Jack Campbell walk?
- The New Jersey Devils: Rumors are that Campbell could be on his way to the Devils? What the deal with Mackenzie Blackwood?
- The Minnesota Wild: Somehow, it doesn’t seem as if Marc-Andre Fleury and the Minnesota Wild are a fit. If Fleury does come back, will he play with Cam Talbot?
- The Washington Capitals: Both Ilya Samsonov and Vitek Vanecek could retire? Then what?
- The Montreal Canadiens: Can Carey Price play next season? If not, who will play with Jake Allen?
- The Pittsburgh Penguins: Tristan Jarry’s good, but who will be his backup?
- The Philadelphia Flyers: Can Ivan Fedotov be a good-enough backup for Carter Hart?
- The Vancouver Canucks (Thatcher Demko), the Dallas Stars (Jake Oettinger), the Blues (Jordan Binnington), and the Arizona Coyotes (Karel Vejmelka) all need backups.
- Finally, the Chicago Blackhawks have no any NHL goaltenders under contract – none!
Can Husso Answer Each of These Needs? He Only Needs One!
The free-agency market opens on July 13. After that, it will be an interesting few weeks for goaltenders. Without enough high-quality goalies to go around, look for Husso to land somewhere with a smile on his face.
Related: NHL Quick Hits: Kadri (Avalanche), Letang (Penguins) & Limping Lightning
