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2013 Stats: With Anaheim: 26 GP, 15 W, 9 L, 6 OT, 1 SO, 2.36 GAA, .913 Sv%. Playoffs: 7 GP, 439 MIN, 3 W, 4 L, 1 SO, 2.46 GAA, .917 Sv%.
Last year's grade: Robby gave Hiller a B+ at the end of last season. Read his full review here.
Early in the Ducks' 2013 campaign, Hiller was overshadowed by Viktor Fasth and his remarkable start (and Fasth's contract). Toward the end of the season, Fasth began to falter, and Hiller picked up much of the slack, winning 8 out of his last 10 regular season games. And though the Ducks' 2013 playoff showing against Detroit was disappointing, Hiller acquitted himself well during the postseason.
2013-14 is a contract year for Hiller, and he's playing for his future with the organization. Many people think he's going to be traded before the conclusion of this season or allowed to test free agency (hello Florida Panthers) in order to make room for a Fasth-Andersen tandem. As well as Fasth played during the beginning of last season, that prospect is completely terrifying. Maybe I'm naïve, but I think that Hiller will have a career year, and ink a new contract with the Ducks before the end of the season. (Remember: At one point, we were all sure that Corey Perry was going to walk, too).
2013 Stats: With Anaheim: 25 GP, 15 W, 6 L, 2 OT, 4 SO, 2.18 GAA, .921 Sv%
Last year's grade: I gave Fasth a B+ at the end of last season. Read my full review here.
If Fasth can stay healthy, he will be a valuable netminder for the Ducks. I talked about the Fasth-Hiller rivalry in my section on Hiller, but I think that barring a full season of astronomically good goaltending from Fasth, I think that Hiller will still be the man in 2014-15. Bruce Boudreau seems happy with the 1a/1b situation, and what essentially amounts to a quarter-season of good play doesn't make Fasth a lock for the starting tendy job.
2013 Stats: With Norfolk: 47 GP, 24 W, 18 L, 1 OT, 4 SO, 2.19 GAA, .929 Sv%.
Last year's grade: N/A. Since Andersen spent the entire 2013 season in Norfolk, he did not receive a report card.
Frederik Andersen is a big guy (6'4", 247 lbs), and was the Norfolk Admirals' #1 goaltender all season. He finished last season with the highest save percentage in the AHL (.929), and even inspired a hashtag. Of the Ducks' three major prospects, Andersen deserves to see NHL action first, and might actually get a cup of coffee with the big club this season (let's hope nothing happens to Fasth or Hiller, though).
2013 Stats: With Norfolk: 28 GP, 11 W, 17 L, 0 OT, 2 SO, 3.13 GAA, .903 Sv%.
Last year's grade: N/A. Since Bobkov also spent the entire 2013 season in Norfolk, he did not receive a report card.
Bobkov is the backup goalie in Norfolk. He won a gold medal with Team Russia in the 2011 World Junior Hockey Championships, but his luster has been somewhat dimmed by Andersen's dominant play in Norfolk, and the excitement surrounding John Gibson. However, Bobkov has considerably more experience in the AHL than Gibson, which might give Igor a leg up in the Norfolk backup goalie battle this season. If Bobkov is eclipsed by Gibson, expect to see him in ECHL or on the trading block. The Ducks' goalie pipeline is stacked, but Bobkov still has a lot of potential. He might become part of a package to nab a center.
John Gibson
2013 Stats: With Kitchener (OHL): 27 GP, 17 W, 9 L, 2 OT, 1 SO, 2.41 GAA, .928 Sv%. With Norfolk: 1 GP, 0 W, 0 L, 4.50 GAA .857 Sv%.
Last year's grade: Gibson did not see any Ducks action during 2013, so he did not receive a review.
John Gibson is probably the most exciting NHL goalie prospect around. As well all know, Gibson led the U.S. team to a gold medal at the 2013 World Junior Hockey Championship, collecting every individual award that was humanly possible along the way (Most Valuable Player, Best Sv%, All-Star Team, Best GAA, Best Goaltender, Top Three Player On Team). Even more impressively, Gibson won a bronze medal with Team USA during the Men's World Hockey Championships in May.
Yet, despite all of Gibson's international successes, he is still rather untested at the professional level, and deserves to be behind Andersen and Bobkov in the Ducks Goalie of the Future pecking order (for now). His professional debut in Norfolk was pretty inauspicious, but that was connected to all-around poor play from the Admirals, and should not be placed squarely on his shoulders. I would like to see Gibson get a longer look in Norfolk, but expect him to spend most of the upcoming season in the ECHL.
Etienne Marcoux (Released from Amateur Try Out, Sept. 16)
2013 Stats: With Blainville-Boisbriand Armada (QMJHL): 42 GP, 27 W, 10 L, 3 OT, 4 SO, 2.14 GAA, .913 Sv%. Playoffs: 14 GP, 10 W, 4 L, 2 SO, 2.13 GAA, .920 Sv%.
Last year's grade: N/A. Marcoux spent his entire season playing junior hockey, so we do not have a report card for him.
Marcoux is an undrafted goalie who was invited to attend Ducks training camp on an amateur try out. The ATO was largely based upon his final season of in the QMJHL, during which he received the Jacques Plante Trophy (best GAA in the league), had the best Sv% in the league (.920), and was named to the QMJHL's Second All-Star Team. His future with the Ducks organization depends on a lot of different variables, but if he receives a contract, expect Marcoux to spend the bulk of his time in the ECHL.