You know, I have NO idea how I forgot about JackASS. OK, that wasn't Jaro's fault, I rescend that. My main point was, it doesn't matter how great we hear the guy is, or how great he was for some other team, what matters is what he does on our team. We acquire a player because we have certain faiths based on his background and stats that he'll benefit the team and be a piece of our puzzle. For the most part, due to injury, Jaro hasn't. And we don't need a player that is injured all the time that we can't rely on. For all we know, he'll wind up injured right before the playoffs again and so far his injury track record has been really bad. If he was posting Hasek numbers, I'd say let it ride, but Jaro has never been anything more than a serviceable goaltender and if an opportunity upgrades us and betters our chances for the Cup, in whole, then I think we should at the very least consider it. Jaro could be the nicest guy, hardest worker and toughest man in town, but it means nothing if he can't stay healthy enough to be in the pipes and post the numbers we need him to.dmiles2186 wrote:Yeah, this was totally Jaro's fault. TOTALLY.Oaklandblue wrote: 2. True and I'll conceded this, but you're injured EVERY year for the playoffs save one game? How does that help us?
Mind, he's been a Blue for three years and Elliott has been our go-to guy. Now, maybe if Halak wasn't injured (What exactly is this injury that plagues him, anyway? Or are they different injuries?), he'd have done more or gotten more hardware, but we're seeing his numbers and he's got those of an NHL-calibre goaltender, nothing elite, nothing special.
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I agree with you, he's not an elite goalie. But when it comes to injury, I give guys the benefit of the doubt. Jaro is a fiery guy, but he doesn't say a lot or show too much emotion. I'm just going out on a limb to guess that he didn't want sit out the last few years, but ultimately he couldn't go. Sometimes if a guy is hurt and guts through it, he could end up hurting the team because he can't play up to par. And Jaro has had a nagging groin injury the last few years, which could definitely harm a goalie's lateral movement.
But in the last 3 seasons, record-wise at least, the Blues have been one of the best teams in the league and Jaro (and Ells) have been a big part of that. The team/system works.
Elliott may be many negative things, but he's been reliable and durable. For a goaltender, to me, these are the two traits necessary to be a success in the position.
As a whole, the team has been a solid contender, not quite good enough to make the WCF, but good enough to make the playoffs. This means there may be some work still to be done. The Canes won a Cup by the acquisition of two players, iirc, and strength at goal. We are in a similar position. I don't think we're done yet to make the next level and I'm sold on Brian Elliott moreso than Halak due to track record as a Blue. If Halak was The One True Goalie, he'd own records and he'd have been an All-Star. But he's been injured, is that what everyone will say? Okay, fair enough. Anyone here want to sit down and tell me that right here, right now, Halak has what it takes from what we've seen this season to be a starter and take us into the playoffs? Simple answer: No. In fact, neither are.
Will that change when we enter the playoffs? VERY Possibly. But which do we do, take the greatest statistics of a player from half a decade ago, or a player who is running solid now, with a solid track record?
The answer to that should be really easy to answer.