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And Cam Talbot appears to be that horse. I'm not saying that Henrik Lundqvist is going to be demoted to backup duties, but now one has to ask, "who's the better goalie?"
Career wise, there's no disputing that Lundqvist has had the better career. He's been a Vezina finalist 5 times in 8 seasons, he won the award in 2012, he's been carrying the Rangers on his back year after year, and he's become an icon of the grand stage which is Madison Square Garden.
At the same time, what has he done lately & what will he do going forward. Even tho he's had a very impressive career, we have to remember that he's 31 years old and he will be 32 when his contract expires. Even great athletes have a tendency to hit their decline after reaching the age of 32. It might not be hard to replace him. We're seeing a goalie that's been an AHLer his whole career, only got a chance because Martin Biron could no longer live up to the duties of being a backup, and now he's consistently outperforming Lundqvist on a regular basis. From win loss percentage, goals against average, save percentage, & shutouts, there's no denying that Cam Talbot has been the better goalie for the Rangers so far this season.
Does this mean Cam will make Hank into a backup and take his place as the new Rangers' starter? Probably not. We have to remember that Lundqvist has a better reputation, more recognition, and serves as a greater draw. For this reason I believe the Rangers will stand by Lundqvist this season & beyond.
At the same time, I have questions about the contract situation. As many of you know, this is Henrik Lundqvist's final year under contract and he's been rumored to have asked for as much as $8.4 million per season for 8 seasons ($67.2 million total). Even before the emergence of Cam Talbot, I would've said that's a ridiculous request, but knowing his statuture, he just might get it. Now with Cam Talbot showing that replacing Lundqvist might not be as difficult as it originally seemed. For this reason, I would expect the Rangers to make their offer less than what they would have been before. Could this tear the 2 sides apart to the extent where Lundqvist doesn't re-sign with the team? I'm not too sure, for the first time ever I don't know how confident I an about the Rangers & Lundqvist continuing their relationship following this season.
Wondered what Ranger fans think. A lot of Ranger fans appear loyal to Hank, but is this the best way to go about it for the coming years?
Career wise, there's no disputing that Lundqvist has had the better career. He's been a Vezina finalist 5 times in 8 seasons, he won the award in 2012, he's been carrying the Rangers on his back year after year, and he's become an icon of the grand stage which is Madison Square Garden.
At the same time, what has he done lately & what will he do going forward. Even tho he's had a very impressive career, we have to remember that he's 31 years old and he will be 32 when his contract expires. Even great athletes have a tendency to hit their decline after reaching the age of 32. It might not be hard to replace him. We're seeing a goalie that's been an AHLer his whole career, only got a chance because Martin Biron could no longer live up to the duties of being a backup, and now he's consistently outperforming Lundqvist on a regular basis. From win loss percentage, goals against average, save percentage, & shutouts, there's no denying that Cam Talbot has been the better goalie for the Rangers so far this season.
Does this mean Cam will make Hank into a backup and take his place as the new Rangers' starter? Probably not. We have to remember that Lundqvist has a better reputation, more recognition, and serves as a greater draw. For this reason I believe the Rangers will stand by Lundqvist this season & beyond.
At the same time, I have questions about the contract situation. As many of you know, this is Henrik Lundqvist's final year under contract and he's been rumored to have asked for as much as $8.4 million per season for 8 seasons ($67.2 million total). Even before the emergence of Cam Talbot, I would've said that's a ridiculous request, but knowing his statuture, he just might get it. Now with Cam Talbot showing that replacing Lundqvist might not be as difficult as it originally seemed. For this reason, I would expect the Rangers to make their offer less than what they would have been before. Could this tear the 2 sides apart to the extent where Lundqvist doesn't re-sign with the team? I'm not too sure, for the first time ever I don't know how confident I an about the Rangers & Lundqvist continuing their relationship following this season.
Wondered what Ranger fans think. A lot of Ranger fans appear loyal to Hank, but is this the best way to go about it for the coming years?
