The Winnipeg Jets Just Made a Curious Goalie Choice

When the Winnipeg Jets claimed Clay Stevenson off waivers, I suspect a few fans looked at the list of available goalies and thought, “Why him?” Stevenson isn’t the biggest name on that list. There were veterans available. Some goalies had much more NHL experience. If Winnipeg just wanted somebody with a recognizable name on the back of his jersey, they had other choices.

But I don’t think that’s what the Jets wanted. They needed a goalie. And they needed one right now. With Connor Hellebuyck still suspended after requesting a trade and not reporting to camp, Stuart Skinner suddenly becomes the guy Winnipeg is counting on in goal. That’s a pretty significant change from the plan the Jets probably had a few months ago.

And behind Skinner, things get awfully young, fast.

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The Jets Have a Young Goalie in DiVincentiis, But Stevenson Has Experience

Domenic DiVincentiis is a prospect, but he’s still a prospect. That’s not the guy you necessarily want to throw into the NHL as your backup because your goaltending situation got turned upside down. So the Jets needed somebody who could actually play. That’s where Stevenson starts to make a lot of sense.

He’s 27 years old, six-foot-four, and he has at least a little NHL evidence behind him. He went 3-1-0 with a .921 save percentage in four games for Washington last season. That’s a tiny sample, so nobody should pretend it proves he’s the next great NHL goalie. But he showed enough to suggest he could handle an NHL opportunity.

Then there’s the AHL record. Stevenson went 18-13-3 with a .912 save percentage in 37 games for Hershey last season. That’s the kind of résumé that says, “This guy can play.” And here’s the part I really like from Winnipeg’s perspective.

Stevenson Is Cheap and Only Has One Season Remaining on His Contract

Stevenson carries an $850,000 cap hit and has one year left on his contract. The Jets aren’t making a huge financial commitment. They’re simply adding another goalie who can step into an NHL game if they need him. That matters when you don’t know exactly what will happen with Hellebuyck.

The other goalies available may have had bigger names or more NHL experience. But many were older veterans, had more mixed recent results or came with a bigger price tag. Stevenson gives Winnipeg something a little different.

He’s experienced enough to be useful, young enough to have upside, inexpensive enough to move if necessary, and good enough that the Jets don’t have to panic if Skinner needs a night off. That’s probably why they chose him.

The Jets Didn’t Need a Big Name. They Needed the Right Goalie.

Interestingly, three former Jets’ goalies had recently gone on waivers. They included Laurent Brossoit (placed by the Anaheim Ducks), David Rittich (placed by the New Jersey Devils), and Eric Comrie (placed by the San Jose Sharks). However, Stevenson was available and he checked the boxes.

Sometimes the smartest roster move isn’t the exciting one. It’s the one that actually makes a lot of sense.And with the Jets’ goaltending situation right now, Stevenson looks like exactly that kind of move.

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