Who will win the Winnipeg Jets’ backup job?
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Ondrej Pavelec started 67 games for the Winnipeg Jets last season, logging close to a whopping 4,000 minutes between the pipes. He posted an underwhelming stat line of 29-28-9 with a 2.91 GAA and .906 SV% but was paid handsomely this summer. One reason Pavelec may have had an inconsistent season was fatigue caused by making so many starts.
Usually when a goalie is given such a hefty workload it’s because he’s an elite, freak-of-nature type of athlete, or because the head coach doesn’t trust his backup. There were times when the veteran Chris Mason came in and did a solid job for the Jets but it didn’t happen on a consistent enough basis. Backup goalies have a tough job: be ready to step in and play a few times a month and give the team a chance to win. However, Mason didn’t always take advantage of his opportunities when he got them.
The Jets will have different look in net whenever this season starts as Mason went on to sign with the Nashville Predators, the team with which Pekka Rinne made an obscene 72 starts last season. Meanwhile Winnipeg brought in a couple of younger guys with limited NHL experience but decent upside to battle for the backup job in Al Montoya and Mark Dekanich.
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