Quinn’s Questions: Is There a Goaltending Controversy?

Nov 28, 2022 - 6:16 PM

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Quinn’s Questions is a feature where you the fans tell us your thoughts, through your vote and hopefully in the comments, as well. It’s named after Quinn Hughes, Pat Quinn, or both, depending on your age and era.

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Results of Previous Quinn’s Questions: Who would you trade if you were GM?

Brock Boeser - 39%

Other - 22%

Bo Horvat - 21%

Conor Garland - 17%

Decently even spread here. I’m guessing that 22% is a big Tyler Myers block. I am surprised there was so much vote for Brock. I felt like he’d flown mostly under the radar, but I guess people think they could a decent return for him.

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Stop me if you’ve heard this before.

The established starter for the Vancouver Canucks is struggling a bit. There’s a scrappy upstart behind him catching some eyes, and there are voices out there suggesting he should be the new starter.

No, I am not talking about Cory Schneider, Eddie Lack, or Jacob Markstrom. I’m talking about Spencer Martin and the voices out there calling for him to replace Thatcher Demko as the starter.

On a surface — and I mean very surface — level, this admittedly fringe group may have a point. Martin is 6-1-1, and in a results-based business, that’s not nothing, especially when compared to Demko’s 3-9-2. If you don’t really read much beyond that, it may not seem absurd to suggest that maybe Martin should be given some leash here.

Even if you look a little deeper, the raw stats favour Martin’s play. Demko’s save percentage is certainly terrible, at 0.885, but Martin’s isn’t all that remarkable either at .907. For the Goals Above Average fans out there — among which I do not count myself — Martin’s 2.83 also isn’t that impressive, but still beats out Demko’s 3.81.

So yes, the stats, not so good for #35. But to this I say, Martin’s numbers are still pretty bad! Those stats are not emblematic of a starting goaltender in the National Hockey League. Demko still has multiple seasons of pedigree under his belt, including an elite level season last year and multiple runs of top shelf net minding. Is it really worth the seismic narrative and chaos for a goalie whose numbers are at best a marginal improvement? These seven games for Martin, by the way, are the most he’s ever played in a single season. There’s not a lot of track record there. Ultimately, I think opting for Martin would be a galaxy brained move rooted in desperation.

But hey, maybe things are so bad in your mind, you think it’s worth the Hail Mary. Maybe you’re just a huge Spencer Martin truther — goaltending is pretty weird after all. It’s a very hard sell for me, but I suppose stranger things have happened. Let me know your thoughts, as well as your reasoning, in our fine comments section and in our poll.