Eurohockey.net reported earlier this week former Philadelphia Flyers netminder Robert Esche had signed to play with Ak Bars Kazan of the Russian Super League this season.
Esche was one of the few goalies of note (Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour being the other two) still available in this year’s unrestricted free agent market. Joseph is believed working out back in Toronto awaiting an offer whilst Belfour has signed to play in Sweden this season although it’s believed he might have an “out” clause in his contract should an NHL club come calling.
It’s not surprising Esche didn’t get any takers thus far, as his last two NHL seasons were not memorable. Apart from a decent showing against the Buffalo Sabres in the opening round of the 2006 playoffs, Esche simply didn’t play as well as he did prior to the lockout, resulting in his stock dropping dramatically heading into this year’s UFA market.
Some internet speculation last month had him possibly heading to the NY Rangers or Edmonton Oilers as a backup, but the Blueshirts are more concerned about their blueline depth whilst the Oilers have a very capable backup in Mathieu Garon.
It’s still possible that Esche could find his way back to the NHL this season as injuries and/or inconsistent goaltending could force a few teams to give his agent.
The Los Angeles Kings could head that list, as their goaltending continues to be their Achilles heel. Put simply, their best goalie is Jonathan Bernier, whom they returned to his QMJHL team for the rest of this season so as not to hamper his development or bruise his confidence by rushing him too soon into action.
Dan Cloutier proved an expensive, injury-ravaged bust. Jason Labarbera has yet to prove he’s anything more than a really good minor league netminder, and J.S. Aubin is better used as a backup, not a starter.
Goaltending isn’t their only concern as the Kings defensive game needs improvement but it would go a long way to calming their blueline corps down if they know they’ve got a decent starting goalie behind them to cover their mistakes.
Granted, Esche didn’t have a very good 2006-07 season, and was uneven the previous year, but he could well be determined to improve his game and to make the most of a second chance. It wouldn’t be the first time a player left unsigned because of weak performances shone when given another opportunity by an NHL team.
Esche could probably be had for a reasonable, incentive-laced contract for this season, plus he’s not too old, like Joseph and Belfour, nor does he have lingering back problems, like Belfour. And unlike a trade, signing him won’t cost them players or prospects in return.
The only signing problem is that since he’s now playing in Russia he’d have to clear waivers before reporting to the Kings, so it would likely be best to get him soon before other teams start having goalie woes and look to Esche as a solution.
Barring either a character or physical flaw that would scare away Kings management, Esche appears to be the best solution to their goaltending problems right now.
At this point, what have they got to lose? Carrying on with what they’ve got could eventually cost them the season anyway, so it’s worthwhile to give Esche a shot.
With Bernier in the pipeline, the Kings badly need the "bridge player" between the posts for about two to three years. Esche, Joseph or Belfour would all be serviceable in that role. Personally, of the three I'd go for Joseph, but Cujo is only a one to two year solution while Esche could likely get you closer to that three years of development lead time that you need.
Over the summer I suggested that getting Gerber out of Ottawa might not be a bad option, and could likely be done on the cheap. Farm Cloutier to take his cap hit off the books and the price for Gerber would only be $500,000 higher. I think Martin would have looked a little more human as the Kings puck stopper than he does in the Ottawa net right now, but he'd still be an upgrade over the current talent.
Here's a wild thought: What would it take for the Kings to pry Martin Brodeur out of New Jersey? There's a guy who has likely another five years left, would give Bernier plenty of time to develop in the minors and then could mentor the kid when he's called up. Is the LA farm system deep enough to consider such a swap?
Esche is a good goalie but he is not better/worse than Aubin so he is not a considerable upgrade for the Kings. (Although he is much better than Labarbera)
Aside from plucking a top goalie via trade, (again, something that they should have done way back) the talent pool in goal is thin in FA.
Until the Kings solve their goaltending woes, they are not going anywhere. Another growing concern for them is their apparent lack of defensive toughness and consistency which to me is an even bigger issue.
The young guys are making bonehead mistakes and even more surprising, the veterans like Blake and Visnovsky have suddenly forgotten how to play hockey.
The Kings right now are a team without identity and as much as Marc Crawford insists that they stay with their gameplan, I am still trying to figure out what the gameplan is in the first place.
K4E i agree. The Kings defense is not that bad on paper. It seems like the players that they have are not even close to playing at the ability they are capable of. To me they just look like a poorly coached team.....offense and defence has no direction and no consistency with line mates.....I say Crawford will be gone by Thanksgiving if they stay on this road
I'm Lyle Richardson, also known as Spector, Foxsports.com 's "Prince of Pucks".,which is based on the fact I live in Prince Edward Island, Canada and I couldn't think of a better byline. I've been an NHL hockey commentator since 1998 on my website, Spector's Hockey, and I'm a contributing writer for Foxsports.com , The Hockey News and Eishockey News. I'm also a regular on The Faceoff Hockey Show and a frequent guest on "The Late Crew" on The Team 1200 Ottawa.
