I don’t care how early it is in his career. I am committed to Slukynsky hype, personally.Great extension. Between Portillo and Slukynsky there is hope for our future in net.
Don't forget George. Kid could leapfrog these guys at some point if he pans out like they think he might.Great extension. Between Portillo and Slukynsky there is hope for our future in net.
My brain is still confused that someone can be Swedish and have the name Erik Portillo.![]()
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Nice! I was hoping we'd try to get Askarov but Portillo is potential starter material.
Yeah, Nashville did a great job hyping up that goaltender. Then turn around and extend their starter to setup the trade of Askarov. The AHL numbers do not lie, and Askarov had played ony 2-3 games in the NHL? I could never figure out why he was such a high profile trade target.I hope you weren't hoping to get Askarov for the price that SJS paid. Basically two 1st rounders for a netminder who, statistically speaking, wasn't at Portillo's level, especially in the playoffs...where Grosenick outplayed him.
Hype is a dangerous thing.
Great signing. I'm guessing it wasn't trivial to sell him an idea of a 3 year deal with 2 other young, talented goalies in the pipeline. Unlike Cal disaster, this is the best possible scenario you could hope for. The Kings now have 3 young, very talented, waiver-exempt, very affordable goalies in the pipeline, and only Kuemper on a longer term, expensive contract, thus they have a lot of flexibility in goal moving forward - 2 young-ins in the AHL and 1 with the big boys with Kuemper until the situation clears itself regarding who is worthy of the NHL spot and a more lucrative contract (and I'm sure we won't be seeing any more 5 million, 3 year second contracts for goalies with half a good-ish season behind them). What a contrast to Cal's 5 million and JQ's 5,8 wombo combo in 22-23...
(I'm still baffled at the contract that Cal got...is his agent a brother of someone in the organization or something? Or did he have some incriminating evidence of someone in his pocket?)
It's the "Bernier Effect"Yeah, Nashville did a great job hyping up that goaltender. Then turn around and extend their starter to setup the trade of Askarov. The AHL numbers do not lie, and Askarov had played ony 2-3 games in the NHL? I could never figure out why he was such a high profile trade target.
You mean, JBern4Vezina5?It's the "Bernier Effect"
To be fair, Bernier was a very good goaltender. Whether or not he ultimately lived up to it, he deserved the hype.You mean, JBern4Vezina5?
Bernier was neither strong enough nor talented enough to take any team to the promised land. He just didn’t have that winner mentality.To be fair, Bernier was a very good goaltender. Whether or not he ultimately lived up to it, he deserved the hype.
Unfortunately for him Quick got hot and never looked back.
He definitely had the talent and a long track record of success prior to the NHL (Guy Lafleur Trophy, Baz Bastien Memorial Award) and posted 2.78 GAA / .912 SV% over 404 NHL games playing in front of some pretty mixed defenses over his career. If you think that equates to a lack of enough talent to win the Stanley Cup, they I simply have to disagree. Lesser goalies than he have won the Cup as a starter.Bernier was neither strong enough nor talented enough to take any team to the promised land. He just didn’t have that winner mentality.
And I stand by my statement that he did not have the fire in him to win a Cup. And his lack of dominating physical strength was very apparent in scrums around the goal. The Kings didn’t just hand the starting position to Quick. He took it with talent, body strength, but most of all with strength of will. Bernier was anointed but Quick was actually the hero.He definitely had the talent and a long track record of success prior to the NHL (Guy Lafleur Trophy, Baz Bastien Memorial Award) and posted 2.78 GAA / .912 SV% over 404 NHL games playing in front of some pretty mixed defenses over his career. If you think that equates to a lack of enough talent to win the Stanley Cup, they I simply have to disagree. Lesser goalies than he have won the Cup as a starter.
Winning mentality? I'd have to disagree with that as well, but I will agree that he wasn't able to find another level come playoff time like Quick was - but he also had very limited opportunity to do so over his NHL career.
End of day, I stand behind my point that he was a very good goaltender, and the hype he had coming into the NHL draft was warranted.