Is he a #1 goaltender?
I don't mind seeing Antoine Vermette go, the real question is whether Leclaire is the answer in net for the Senators. He's in the first year of an expensive three-year contract.
Just learned on TSN that Leclaire won't even play for the rest of the season? Yikes.
This trade totally plays into the storyline that the Senators only problem in the past has been goaltending. Anyone who has followed the team with a shred of interest knows better.
"The best goaltender Ottawa's had since they've entered the league." says Pierre McGuire.
...and Kuba re-signed? I did not see that one coming.
SIGN-AND-TRADESIGN-AND-TRADESIGN-AND-TRADE!!! Call it the Marian Hossa special. Of course, that's a play from John Muckler's book.
gahhhhh. I should be sleeping. It was a late night last night. Damn TSN rapid alerts.
A friend of the blog posted his view of Leclaire (visit his Ohio sports website):
Jackets fan here. LeClaire is feast or famine: when he's healthy, he can be a franchise goalie. The problem for him has always been that he can't seem to play an entire season without getting nicked up. This year, he biffed his ankle in pre-season, and it was never right. Thankfully for Columbus, Mason stepped up.
When he's right, LeClaire is athletic, if not big in stature. He can move post-to-post well, and did lead the league in shutouts last season. If he can stay healthy, you've got a great goalie for '09-'10.
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