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DALGoaltender Jimmy Howard Prefers Detroit To The Playoffs
It’s common knowledge that hockey goalies see the world a bit differently than just about everybody else. But Jimmy Howard of the Detroit Red Wings may even seem something of an oddball to his fellow masked men as the veteran recently said he’d rather stay in Motor City than join a Stanley Cup contender at the upcoming trade deadline.
That’s seen as a slightly unusual comment considering the 34-year-old’s an unrestricted free agent in July and may not be offered a new deal in Detroit. Most goalies would jump at a chance to compete for Lord Stanley’s mug, but Howard is hoping to hang around a little while longer once his current six-year contract is up. The native of Syracuse, New York has made it known he’d like to finish his career as a one-team player and is willing to take a chance on general manager Ken Holland offering him a new deal.
Howard was recently quoted by NHL.com as saying, “Obviously I want to stay here. This city has become home, not only for myself but for my family as well. I definitely don’t want to relocate at all. So it would mean the world to me to be able to end my career here in Detroit.”
It’s possible Howard gets his wish, but unlikely he’ll be playing between the posts in the playoffs anytime soon. The Red Wings are currently closer to the cellar of the Atlantic Division and Eastern Conference than they are to a wild card spot and that’s probably not going to change.
Holland recently told the media he’s willing to speak with Howard and his agent before the Feb. 25th trade deadline to explore everybody’s options. The GM can either hold onto Howard, trade him or simply let the netminder walk away as a free agent in the offseason by not offering him a contract.
If Holland decides he’d rather rebuild with youth even in net, he’d probably be foolish to lose Howard for nothing. There are plenty of teams that could use a reliable puck stopper this season even if it’s just in a backup role. Teams such as the Toronto Maple Leafs, Chicago Blackhawks and Philadelphia Flyers have all been searching for help in the crease due to injuries to their number-one goalies.
And while the rebuilding Red Wings have been struggling in general this season this season, Howard hasn’t been. He’s played solid in net with a 2.77 goals-against average and 91.6 save percentage in 31 outings as of Jan. 13th. He’s been facing close to 35 shots per game, but owned the fourth-best save percentage in the league for netminders who’ve appeared in a minimum of 30 contests.
In fact, Howard’s stellar play hasn’t gone unnoticed around the NHL as he’s been named to the All-Star Game on Jan. 26th in San Jose. While that’s obviously a good thing for the goaltender it could also have a detrimental affect since rival general manager’s may now have him in their sights when it comes to acquiring goaltending help. Who knows; the Red Wings could end up receiving an offer for Howard so good they simply can’t refuse it.
If anybody traded for him, they wouldn’t have to worry about Howard retiring anytime soon as he said there’s a few more seasons left in his body. However, they would be taking a gamble by hoping he’d re-sign with them as a free agent.
Earlier in the season Howard said he wasn’t sure how much longer he’d be able to play since the league is becoming younger year after year. But he’s now changed his tune as his confidence has grown due to his solid work this year. It might seem a little odd that somebody with Howard’s numbers and experience could start to question his place in the game, but it happens. He’ll soon be playing in his 500th regular-season contest with a record of 233-163-38 and ranks number three on the franchise’s all-time wins list. Howard’s career GAA is currently 2.50 with his save percentage ringing in at 91.5 with 24 shutouts to his name.
Howard was drafted 64th overall back in 2003 out of the University of Maine. He then spent four seasons perfecting his craft in the American Hockey League with the Grand Rapids Griffins and made the league’s All-Rookie Team. He didn’t crack Detroit’s lineup as a regular until 2009/10 since the club was already deep in net with Chris Osgood and Dominik Hasek. Howard knew he’d have to bide his time in the minors since Detroit won the Stanley Cup in 2007/08 and made it back to the final the next season.
As a 25-year-old rookie Howard went 37-15-10 with a 2.26 GAA and 92.4 save percentage with three shutouts. He placed second in voting for the Calder Trophy behind blue liner Tyler Myers of the Buffalo Sabres and was named to the All-Rookie squad. Howard’s been selected to a couple of All-Star Games already and has earned votes for the Vezina Trophy in the past, has never had his name engraved on any NHL silverware.
He’s had to deal with injuries in the past and was basically relegated to the backup position in 2015/16 behind prospect Petr Mrazek. Howard realized it was up to him to respond to Mrazek’s fine play and spent hours with goalie coach Jeff Salajko to alter his style. Even though Howard played just 26 games in 2016/17 and Mrazek appeared in 50, the hard work paid off as Mrazek was then left unprotected in the NHL Expansion Draft when the Vegas Golden Knights joined the league.
The Knights passed on Mrazek though and Howard eventually re-took the top spot in net last season as Mrazek was dealt to the Philadelphia Flyers in February. Holland then signed unrestricted free agent Jonathan Bernier in the summer to back up Howard this season. The GM said Howard simply played his way back to the starter’s role with his consistent performances.
This is pro sports though, so nobody knows what the future holds for Howard. He’s either still going to be a Red Wing after Feb. 25th or he’ll be putting on the pads for somebody else. Holland is aware of the netminder’s preference though and it’ll be interesting to see how developments unfold in the upcoming weeks.
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