His career has stoped 91 out of 100 shots. He was a standout in 2010-11 with a .923 save percentage. He was averagiing high 60 to 74 games played when he was at his best, so he is not a guy that can sit for three weeks behind crow.
I dont know how he rates in OT, but our backups were crap in overtime, penalty shots and just plain terrible if it got to a shootout.
Even if crow is back I doubt he handles the load he has with Ward in the building and it might even have him better than he was with scheduled days off, well, as long as they keep him away from the Rise Against concerts.
Turco was a .909 just like Ward. Overall goaltender average is .911 since 2005. Starter average is .915 in the same time period. Crawford is a career .919. More salt in the wound: Crawford was a standout in 2013 (.926), 2015 & 2016 (.924) and last year (.929).
...and that .929 was barely enough to keep the 'hawks at the playoff bubble.
If Crawford is gone the 'hawks are proper fucked--there's no other way around it. Ward would have to be better his career best to give the 'hawks a fighting chance.
Halak, Elliott, Neuvirth, Miller--we could have made a play for any/all of them who have better career numbers than Ward *and* would have been cheaper--especially as a stopgap backup in case Crawford can't carry a full load. We could have had backup goaltending and some space cash to shore up the depth.
No matter how you slice it 3M for Ward is way too much for a below-average goaltender on the outtro of his career--especially being the abomination the 'hawks call a "defense".
Now, if Ward manages to put up a .915 or better seeing more shots/game than he saw in Carolina, great--I'll gladly eat some crow. But the fact of the matter remains is is what Turco was when we signed him in 2011 as a stopgap backup in case Crawford doesn't have it...and he only cost 1.75M in 2018 cap dollars.
The onus is on Ward to ensure this isn't an overpayment--and if it was I fully expect Stan to be out on his ass at the end of the year.
