The Winterhawks Growing Goalie Question

The holidays are coming quickly, and the WHL trade deadline comes right after. Coach Kompon knows as well as anyone that keeping three goalies is unnecessary…and the four he currently has is gratuitous. It would make plenty of sense to take advantage of his overflowing crop of netminders and trade off at least one of them before late December in exchange for a player we need. Would it be too much to hope for a swell new veteran defensemen in our stocking?

But who does Kompon stick with, and who does he send away? No one can make the decision for him, but we can get a good look at the options now before tomorrow’s home game against Red Deer.

Michael Bullion, age 17, rocked two wins in a row against Kelowna and then Edmonton last week, earning the First Star for both games. These are tough teams to beat, and the stats say it all: 31 saves out of 33 shots on goal against Kelowna, and 32 out of 33 against Edmonton. The Anchorage native is sending a message, and it reads, “I deserve to be here.” Still, two games are not enough data to prove it. I wouldn’t be surprised if Bullion is starting tomorrow night, if anything just to crank up the pressure and see if he can hold this terrific debut in his rookie season.

Newest addition to the roster Bolton Pouliot did not fare as well against Kelowna last Thursday, but then again no one else did except Portland’s PK unit. Pouliot let go of 5 goals out of 36 shots in that game, but he also is responsible for two big wins during the eastern road trip. Again, there’s not enough data for Kompon here, although a big factor may be that Pouliot is 20 years old. He won’t be playing in the WHL next year, so his talent is not something the team can grow on. A veteran between the pipes might be essential to salvage this season, though.

Brendan Burke, who will also be 20 this March, spent the first few games of this season in his native Arizona, working out with the Phoenix Coyotes in anticipation of an NHL debut. As I’ve stated in the past, I’m not sure how anyone saw Burke as NHL material. He’s got the most time in-net of any of the Winterhawks goalies, and with that comes the most goals allowed, the most losses, and the most games where he’s been relieved by someone else. Since his stats couldn’t even sell him as a mascot to another team, It’s likely Burke will ride the pine from here.

Finally, we come to Adin Hill, age 18. I think it’s fair to say that he might have the most raw ability of the four goalies, though I could probably say whatever I want since there’s no way to gauge him. Hill has only played in four games total, and he’s only started in two. Not exactly a provocative trade on paper, especially if the other team is looking for an experienced linchpin. In his total of 161 minutes on ice, he has a save percentage of 89.9% which is better than Burke’s 85.5% after playing in four games this season, or his 87.5% for the ten games total that he’s played in. Hill, if given a chance, might be the puck vacuum that Kompon needs.

Me personally, I’d bench Burke until such a time as he’s ready to play a full game and win. If he doesn’t impress us all by mid-December, it might be worth it to get even the barest of trades for him. I’d trade Pouliot immediately, as he would pull the best possible exchange for Portland with his experience and his stats, and I’d alternate starting position between Hill and Bullion. Why? Because the 2014-15 season is starting to look like a rebuilding year, and if that’s the case Kompon needs to build a defense around fresh, talented goalies with something to prove. He has two young players who have both demonstrated their ability to win against our biggest rivals. I suggest he work with them and lay off this constant “stay the course” mantra that has gotten us to a 7-10-0-2 record into November.