NHL goalies have never been this underappreciated. Here's why

It’s not easy to be an goalie these days. Not long ago, teams without a star goaltender would never be considered contenders for the Stanley Cup. But that idea of relying on a great goalie to carry a team deep into the playoffs seems to have faded for a number of NHL clubs, including the reigning Stanley Cup champs.

It’s been six years since signed an eight year deal with a $10.5 million (U.S.) annual salary in Montreal. Florida gave a $10 million average just two years later, and since then teams seem to be less inclined to put that much faith in the position. Even quickly signed on the dotted line when he realized teams such as New Jersey weren’t willing to pay anywhere near the $8.5 million average that Winnipeg offered.

It’s by no means a horrible contract for Hellebuyck, but it’s clear his position may no longer be seen as the ultimate key to a championship. Several rule changes have played into the demise of the goaltender, as proven by a steady decline in save percentage from its peak of .915 during the 2015 16 season all the way down to just .903 last season: more penalty calls to create power plays, the removal of the red line, no defensive substitutions after icings.

It’s all led to more offence. Not to mention the trapezoid area, founded after the 2004 05 lockout and designed to penalize goalies for being too good at handling the puck. A rule cracking down on a trained skill might be the most insulting of them all. Let’s not forget the league's constant threat of suspensions and fines for goalies who refused to streamline their equipment so they can’t stop as many pucks.

If today’s goalie union needs to find a scapegoat for its collective decline, look no further than the league itself. Over the last 20 years, goalie coaches have done their best to make all their clients play the same way. Long gone are styled goaltenders such as Bernie Parent, Patrick Roy and . If you need another reason why save percentages are sinking like a stone, I present you with six foot four goaltenders being taught to act like they’re five foot nine.

You’d be hard pressed to find another era in hockey’s long history where it’s been worse for a goalie's confidence than the one they're playing in now. “We know Ilya has gone through a difficult time,” general manager on Tuesday after his former No. 1, , cleared waivers en route to the AHL’s Marlies.

“Really, it's a physical and mental reset,” he continued. “He can get away from preparing for the next game and all the pressures that come with it.” Not all goalies have faltered as hard as in Edmonton or , but it’s clear with 32 teams now in the league that they have never been valued less.

Today there are as many as six teams with serious Stanley Cup aspirations and major question marks in net: Edmonton, Colorado, Los Angeles, Carolina, New Jersey and Toronto. And with no cap space to spare, all that’s left to hope for is another rags to riches story like in 2019. The winning formula now appears to be: you don’t need to win the Cup for us, just don’t lose it.

The key for Vegas’s and Colorado’s Philipp Grubauer, the last two goalies to lead their team to victory, was simple: just stop the shots that you’re supposed to and let the skaters do the rest. And yet while we’ve seen the goalie’s role lose strength over the years, it still remains one of the most scrutinized positions in all of sport.

While organization’s have changed the way they value goalies, if the players and fans have one thing in common, it’s believing that winning is unachievable without a very good goaltender. On any given night a team can have a top scorer or defenceman struggle and still feel their team can find a way to win — just ask the Tampa Bay Lightning.

On a related note, nothing gets on the nerves of a fan base more than bad goaltending. And as mean and heartless as this may sound, these are the small group conversations that go on among players on the team bus after their goalie just allowed four goals on 12 shots on the road. Goalies aren't stupid — they know what the players talk about at the back of the bus and what fans say on social media.

That’s what makes the position so darn unappealing to hockey parents to begin with. While the seasons for Samsonov and Campbell may feel like a lost cause to some, it wouldn’t be the first time goalies have rebounded after being sent to find their game in the minors. My former Rangers teammate Mike Richter was sent to the minors for two weeks in January during the 1992 93 season despite having started in over 100 NHL games.

“It got to the point where I was really pressing,” during his stint in the minors 31 years ago. "I'm trying to figure out the next shot, I'm trying to do too much." Much like Samsonov is now, Richter was in a dark place. But he played five games in the minors, found his game and started having fun again.

Sixteen months later, he helped us win the Stanley Cup. Can Samsonov use this opportunity to revive his career like Richter did? Treliving sure hopes so. “This allows him to breathe a little bit for the week,” Treliving said. “Get him out of the environment that he was in, let him refocus, let him reset.

And then when we get back (from the road trip), we'll see where we're at.” Samsonov didn’t forget how to play goalie. He needs to tune out the noise and just start playing again. It’s ironic. Goalies have been accused of cheating over the years with oversized equipment and jerseys. They’ve slimmed down on that front.

Now it’s their skin that needs to get thicker. —Seems like William Nylander’s play this season has justified his ask to be compensated as a top three winger in the game. Whatever the final number ends up being, expect to see the same financial front loaded signing bonus muscle from the Leafs that they used to pay Auston Matthews over $30 million in the first two seasons.

—The Ottawa Senators made a somewhat surprising move this week announcing Steve Staios as the new general manager. Despite dropping the "interim GM" title, newly appointed associate GM Ryan Bowness seems to be the odds on favourite to one day taking over when they deem he's ready. —U.

S. ratings for the NHL Winter Classic in Seattle were the worst the league has ever had for an outdoor game. Look for the NHL to lean on young phenom Connor Bedard of the Chicago Blackhawks next year to pull those numbers back up. I don’t like that the league feels they need to suspend players like Erik Gudbranson and Jason Zucker for responding to cheap shot hits like the one we saw from Florida’s Nick Cousins, who wasn't suspended..