Various sources report the Calgary Flames have today signed unrestricted free agent goaltender Curtis Joseph to a one-year, $1.5 million contract. TSN.ca reports with half the season already gone he'll earn $650K the rest of the way.
The popular “CuJo” became an unrestricted free agent in July 2007 but was unable to find any takers as his performance had declined over the last two seasons playing with the Phoenix Coyotes.
However, Joseph stayed in shape at his home near Toronto, and last month accepted an invitation to play for Team Canada at the annual Spengler Cup in Davos, Switzerland, where he backstopped Canada to victory in the tournament.
That performance considerably heightened interest in Joseph. In addition to the Flames, the San Jose Sharks, Toronto Maple Leafs and NY Rangers were reportedly interested in his services.
The Flames signing Joseph should not be interpreted as a lack of confidence in current starter Miikka Kiprusoff, who’d struggled earlier this season but has played better since early December.
This move was done to spell off Kiprusoff, who’d started 44 of 45 games this season so far for the Flames, giving him someone to share the load and take a bit of the burden off his shoulders.
A Calgary Herald reporter expressed concern prior to today’s signing that perhaps Kiprusoff might be bothered by Joseph’s addition. If he is he’d better get over it quickly, as this isn’t about just Kiprusoff but rather insuring the Flames reach the playoffs.
The danger in having “Kipper” play so many games was the risk of burning him out down the stretch, leaving him with little left for the post-season. Worse, it increased the risk of his suffering an injury, something the Flames could ill-afford.
Put simply, the addition of “CuJo” is an insurance policy, nothing more. Kiprusoff’s still the starter in Calgary, and if the addition of an experienced veteran like Joseph pushes him to play harder, so much the better for the Flames.
If Kiprusoff should struggle again or get injured, it’ll be good to have Joseph there to bail them out.
Of all the remaining options (after San Jose said they were no longer interested), Calgary seems to be the best fit for what he can contribute at this stage, and the most complete team of the bunch. It gives the Flames a good insurance policy down the stretch (which with luck they won't have to cash), and it gives CuJo the possibility of a lengthy playoff run, even if it's mostly riding the pine.
And here's hoping CuJo can pull off at least two more wins between now and the end of the year, and pass Terry Sawchuk for fourth on the all-time list.
This is awesome...I've always been a CuJo fan. He's the best back up the flames have ever had really...other then Kipper backing up Turek. Last year we had "noodles" and he just sucked. McElhinney was too young and not ready for the bigs yet (as are the rest of calgary's young goalies). This will give the flames a chance on nights kipper isn't on his game...I mean whenever they played with a back up in the past 2 seasons, they'd score 5 goals and still loose! If he gets hot, let him play a little, if not, let him be there as support. Time to go after that last missing piece of the puzzel. I'm thinking an upgrade on D (get rid of Hale and/or Erikson) and maybe one more "flashy" forward to help out on shoot outs.
Joseph was bound to get another trip in the spotlight after that performance on the international stage, but let's be real here: If Kiprusoff gets hurt, then the Flames' playoff hopes are about as realistic as Terrell Owens' tears yesterday. That said, signing Joseph is smart for the rest of the regular season. He's an accomplished veteran who knows his role at this stage in his career, and I doubt any resentment builds up from Kipper's side with his addition to the locker room. That sounds like more innuendo cooked up by bored sportswriters who can turn anything into a goalie controversy.
I've never been a fan of Joseph's postseason prowess, but as a backup you can't really do much better. I'd remember, though, that that is exactly what he is at this point, Spengler Cup notwithstanding. If MK isn't manning the nets, Calgary doesn't have a prayer.
What he did in the Spengler Cup is prove he has what it takes to play a few games here and there when called upon, which is exactly what Calgary needs. You saw what happened to Brodeur last season. He plays something like 70 games a year and looked pretty mortal against Tampa Bay in the first round. Calgary doesn't want Kiprusoff suffering the same fate.
While an elite starter he is no more, Joseph will definitely bring more than a couple days' rest for Kiprusoff every so often. Can't forget about his playoff experience. While nothing spectacular comes to mind, taking part in the second season means a lot, so they tell me.
Additionally, Curtis Joseph's one of the class acts. I'm sure he'll be a welcome addition to the locker room for that alone.
I am very disappointed that we have not been giving our goaltending prospects a better shot. In my opinion the Flames have the most depth of any team in terms of young goaltending talent. We need to start giving McElhinney, Keetley or Krahn a shot here. And what happens in a year or two when Irving is ready to go?
Nothing against CUJo but the Flames better give these guys some experience.
I am not sure about the philosophy of playing one guy so much. Luongo looked pretty burnt out in the last couple games of the playoffs last year. Giguere only played 56 games. The year before that Cam Ward played 28... before that Khabibulin played 55 and before that Brodeur played 72 (which is a lot but he's a super hero).
I like CuJo and he looked great at the Spengler but I would have liked to see more of a rotation with Kipper and one of our prospects.
1) It'll be intersting to see how:
a) CUJO does against NHL competition. Nothing against his Spengler heroics, but thats hardly even the best European talent he was up against.
b) How the dynamic with he, Keenan, and Kipper plays out. Especially if some how CUJO plays at a high level.
Has anyone else noticed that Versus broadcasts have BIG problems with their volume control ? It is downright MADDENING to try and watch a game on versus. The commentators volume fades in and out depending on how loud the action is on the ice. I noticed it at the beginning of the year, and it happens EVERY game. It has gotten to a point where I can not enjoy watch a game on Versus because of this. For the last two nights I felt like throwing my remote control at the TV; it is that maddening.
Can anyone tell me who I can submit a complaint to ? Should I write or call Versus, the NHL (hahaha!) or where ?
I'd hate to have to go through another 5 months of garbage coverage like this.
I've noticed that sound issue during their shows as well. I'm not sure if it has something to do with the cable provider or the channel itself. The HD version seems much cleaner on the audio end, but that's just me. Incidentally, while you have them on the horn, tell them that Versus as a channel name is horrid. I get the competition thing, sort of, but honestly..just not good.
This is a good move for the Flames. They are in such a tough division that they can't afford to play the young guys down the stretch to give them the experience. Cujo will spell Kipper once a week or so without a huge drop off. I don't see Kipper having an issue with this signing. He just signed a huge extension and Cujo is 40 years old. Why would he feel threatened? If anything you'd think he would feel more threatened if they brought up Krahn and he started lighting it up. All in all a good signing that should keep Kipper fresh for the playoffs (around 68-70 games played rather than 78).
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.
