At the start of the 2005-06 season, the Pittsburgh Penguins will have two goaltenders under one-way contracts.  They acquired 30-year-old Jocelyn Thibault during the offseason from Chicago, and have 25-year-old Sebastian Caron as well.  The Pens let 2003-04 starter Jean-Sebastian Aubin become a free agent. Beyond the tandem above, the Penguins have several young prospects waiting in the wings.

Marc-Andre Fleury, Drafted 1^st overall – 2003 NHL Entry Draft

Marc-Andre Fleury is the goaltender of the future for Pittsburgh.  He will start the 2005-06 season third on the organization’s depth chart at goaltender, following Thibault and Caron.  Expect Fleury to compete for a roster spot during training camp.  This forces the Penguins to either keep three goalies, trade Caron, or decide to give Fleury another year in the AHL.

Fleury has a tall frame at 6’2 and long arms that allow him to be in proper position to make a quick save.  He also has great poise when he is being crowded from the front of his net, but has been known to give up weak goals occasionally.

In 2004-05, he played the bulk of the season for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton (AHL) Penguins, and though he had only at .901 save percentage and 2.52 GAA, he set new team records for wins, shutouts, and games played.  However, when it came to playoff time, his GAA ballooned to 4.36 and Andy Chiodo and Dany Sabourin replaced him.  This is a trend that has been present throughout his career.

In 2003-04, Fleury made Pittsburgh’s roster out of the gates during his first season a pro, but struggled and received little defensive help.  He was sent back to his junior team in a move that was monetarily motivated.  Fleury performed exceptionally well while playing for Team Canada in the 2003-04 WJC until the infamous gold medal game when he conceded three third period goals to drop the game 4-3 to Team USA .  He had a record of 4-1 and a GAA of 1.81.

Perhaps another year of being the starter in Wilkes-Barre/Scranton will help the development of this young prospect.  Along with 2004 second overall pick Evgeni Malkin and 2005 first overall pick Sidney Crosby, Fleury is poised to become a fixture in a very talented Penguins locker room.

Andy Chiodo, Drafted 199^th overall – 2003 NHL Entry Draft

Andy Chiodo has been a nice surprise for the Penguins, adding much needed depth in their system behind fellow 2003 draft choice Fleury.  He will begin 2005-06 with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton.  He will either be the everyday starter, if Fleury makes the Pittsburgh lineup, or he will back Fleury up.  This will be Chiodo’s third season as a pro after spending his junior career with Toronto St. Michael’s of the OHL.

In 2004-05, he split time between the WBS Penguins and the Wheeling Nailers of the ECHL, so that he could get more playing time.  As a rookie in 2003-04, he made eight NHL appearances, where he went 3-4-1 with a 3.46 GAA.  He finished his season as the starter for Wilkes-Barre/Scranton’s playoff run.

Chiodo is a small, quick, and flexible goaltender.  He has shown a knack for catching fire in the playoffs, and has helped push the Baby Pens deep into the playoffs the last two seasons.  Assuming his positive development continues, he should join Fleury in Pittsburgh when Thibault’s contract expires at the end of the 2006-07 season.

Chiodo is the last goalie the Penguins have signed to a professional contract, with the exception of Dany Sabourin, who will likely spend this year with Wheeling but has the NHL experience to make a good depth goaltender if injuries or bad form affect those above him.  The next three netminders all play in the NCAA and have two years of eligibility remaining.  Their arrival on the professional scene will coincide with the Thibault and Caron contracts expiring.  Look for these three to get a shot in 2006-07.

Bobby Goepfert, Drafted 171^st overall – 2002 NHL Entry Draft

Bobby Goepfert is the highest drafted of the three NCAA goalies the Penguins have in their system.  He spent two years at Providence College, but sat out the 2004-05 season because of a transfer to St. Cloud State.  He will spend the next two years with the Huskies.  He is a very talented player with a strong glove hand. 

Brandon Crawford-West, Drafted 250^th overall – 2001 NHL Entry Draft

Brandon Crawford-West is a prospect whose development has taken a strange turn.  He was taken in the eighth round in 2001 as a depth goaltender with some upside potential.  He spent the next two seasons in the juniors, bouncing around from Texas of the NAHL to Bozeman of the AWHL and finally Tri-City of the USHL.  In 2003-04 it appeared he was ready to sign a professional contract and play the season for the Wheeling Nailers.  Instead, he decided to go to college and play for Miami of Ohio.  He has performed well with Miami, but when he graduates, he will be 25 years old, and that may not help him find a spot.

Dave Brown, Drafted 228^th overall – 2004 NHL Entry Draft

Dave Brown has really opened some eyes following his first two seasons at Notre Dame.  The former eighth round draft pick was sixth in all of the NCAA with a .925 save percentage as a freshman.  In 2004-05, his numbers, and his playing time suffered as Notre Dame struggled.  If Brown can find consistency and regain his form of 2003-04, he is a legitimate NHL candidate down the road.  He is a smart goalie, always setting up on the right angles, and isn’t afraid to come out after a shooter.

Following that trio of NCAA goaltenders are two overage Europeans whose rights the Penguins still hold.  They are Mika Lehto, 26, who was taken 224^th overall in the 1998 NHL Entry Draft, and Tomas Duba, 24, who was taken 217^th overall in the 2001 Draft.  Lehto has spent the last seven years playing in the Finnish league.  Duba spent two years in the Finnish league and has now played two seasons in the Czech Extraleague.  It appears unlikely that either of these players will come to North America and join the Penguins.

The Penguins appear to be well stocked at goaltender for some time to come, but expect GM Craig Patrick and his team to continue to add young talent to this already deep crop of players.

DJ Powers and Adrian Barclay contributed to this article.

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