It was a bit of a struggle last season for Driedger. He played just 20 games in Charlotte where he posted a 10-6-4 record with a 2.96 GAA and an .878 save percentage before being acquired by Winnipeg where his time with the Moose saw him go 1-3-0 in five games with a 3.30 GAA and an .872 save percentage. Those aren't exactly glowing numbers for any goalie to have, but, in his defence, Driedger has played better in the past. The only problem is that he didn't show that side of his game after posting an 8-9-2 record in the KHL where he had a bloated 3.05 GAA and a pedestrian .897 save percentage.
Announced earlier today, those numbers saw Traktor Chelyabinsk and Chris Driedger agree to end his contract with the club, making him a free agent once again. Are there any teams that need a goalie?
It seems there is, and it might be a team with whom Driedger is already familiar. With Connor Hellebuyck on the shelf for the next 4-6 weeks thanks to arthroscopic surgery on his knee, the Jets were forced to recall Thomas Milic who was having a solid season with the Manitoba Moose. In his absence, Domenic DiVincentiis will likely handle the load of the starts with Norfolk's Isaac Poulter slotting into the backup role after being recalled from the ECHL's Admirals.
The catch in this, though, is that the Moose have won six-straight games, so they're not exactly needing goaltending help at this point. The case can be made that they should have a more veteran presence on their roster to help DiVincentiis, but we'll have to see what the Jets are planning when it comes to their young netminders in Milic and DiVincentiis. After all, once Hellebuyck gets back on the ice, Driedger's contract may cause a logjam in the crease.
Frankly, Driedger's numbers over the last two seasons likely won't have him landing on an NHL roster, and there aren't many AHL teams hunting for goalies at this point in the season. Outside of possibly Utica or Springfield, there simply aren't a lot of roster spots where Driedger can land. With his numbers where they were in the KHL, the Jets could sign him and assign him to the ECHL's Norfolk Admirals who could desperately use an upgrade in between the pipes as Alex Worthington and Logan Stein are struggling to stop pucks.
Would the Jets want to do that, though? It seems unlikely.
There's no doubt that Chris Driedger is a good guy and teammate, but that's not the question here. It would be how he fits into the Jets' plans and where he ultimately would play when it comes to their depth chart. It's assumed he would likely join the Moose, but that would only cause further problems when Hellebuyck returns. I doubt he accepts an offer from the Jets if they want to send him to the Admirals, so I cannot see Chris Driedger landing back in Winnipeg.
The caveat on that last statement is that I never saw the Jets signing the likes of Jonathan Toews, Tanner Pearson, and Gustav Nyqvist either, so don't lean on this blog for insightful Winnipeg Jets news. Adding more struggling talent to the roster just seems like a waste of a roster spot where someone from the Moose could be promoted and playing, so my hope is that the Jets stay the course with Eric Comrie and Thomas Milic as their goaltenders while Hellebuyck is recovering.
The Jets seem to like their homegrown reclamation projects as we've seen with Jonathan Toews, but they'd be best to allow Chris Driedger to look elsewhere for employment. He simply doesn't fit into the depth chart, proving that it's true that you can never go home again.
Until next time, keep your sticks on the ice!
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