Dallas Stars: Six Candidates For Backup Goaltender
By Josh Clark
2. Petr Mrazek, Philadelphia Flyers
The Petr Mrazek situation hasn’t been discussed much, but it could definitely be an option for the Stars.
It was an interesting 2017-18 season for Mrazek. After being considered by many to be the future of the Detroit Red Wings’ crease with five years of experience under his belt as the backup, the Wings made a move at the deadline. They sent the 26-year-old goalie to the Philadelphia Flyers, who were having injury troubles in their own crease.
Mrazek became the starter for the remainder of the regular season. Though his numbers weren’t spectacular (6-6-3, .891 save percentage, 3.22 GAA), he did enough to help the Flyers in their late-season push to the playoffs. Philadelphia claimed the third seed in the Metropolitan Division and squared off with the Pittsburgh Penguins in round one. Mrazek only played in one game as the Flyers were ousted six games.
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Now that they are in offseason mode, one of the wild cards on the roster is Mrazek. The Flyers have arguably three NHL-ready goalies not including Mrazek, so does he have a future in Philly? After all, the trade was more of just an emergency acquisition for a team trying to get into the postseason. Detroit was selling and it was a short-term commitment for the Flyers.
But now Mrazek is a restricted free agent and the Flyers need to make a decision. That’s where the Dallas Stars can come in.
It’s clear that the Flyers likely aren’t trying to keep Mrazek around (because there is really no need). If that is the case, they have no need to qualify him as an RFA and would likely explore trade options in order to get something of value in return.
The thing about Mrazek is that he has proven that he can be a solid backup option in the right situation. In his time in Detroit, he averaged a .912 save percentage and 2.60 GAA. In 2015-16, he was called on to be the primary starter, skating in 54 games. He posted an impressive .921 SV% and 2.33 GAA as a result.
Just like Bernier, Mrazek has shown that he can step in and carry the load when the starter goes down. But, as we saw in Philadelphia, he needs the right situation. That includes a capable defense in front of him.
He owned a pricy cap hit of $4,000,000 in the 2017-18 season and will likely be in search of something similar next year. Is it worth the Stars to both trade an asset to Philadelphia AND sign him to a sizable contract?
That’s up in the air. But if the Flyers are making calls and Dallas can get him in a reasonable trade, he could be the perfect solution to their backup issues. He’s young, he’s proven, and he has a lot of potential left to be tapped into.
On top of that, he could spend a few years proving himself as capable of starting in the NHL. If that’s the case, he could move on to a new team just around the time the Stars’ young crop of goaltending prospects reach NHL readiness.