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Panthers goaltending pipeline

Written by: William Slawter on 11/12/2006 Subscribe to HF's RSS Feed

Season

For the last six years, the Florida Panthers had been centering their goaltending plans around franchise netminder Roberto Luongo. But they recently traded the all-star goalie to Vancouver in a package deal that brought in right wing Todd Bertuzzi, defenseman Brian Allen and 25-year-old goaltender Alex Auld. Faced with not having a clear No. 1 goalie, Florida also acquired veteran Ed Belfour and journeyman Craig Anderson to a group that already included 26-year-old Jean-Marc Pelletier.

While they sort out the near-term, the Panthers have a handful of potential prospects developing within their organization. None of the veteran goalies are inked to any long-term contracts, which means a home-grown netminder could be just a year or two away from making an impact. Below is a look at who is coming down the pipeline.

David Shantz

Drafted 37th overall 2004

Shantz was the first goaltender from the OHL taken in the 2004 Draft, after a strong season in which he led the Mississauga Ice Dogs to the Eastern Division Championship. He followed with a disappointing 2004-05 campaign, when he went through a stretch of losing 15 of 22 games and was eventually traded to Peterborough. He would come back strong after joining the Petes in 2005-06, posting a 31-14-2-1 record with a 2.87 GAA and .915 save percentage.

During his last season of junior hockey Shantz continued to refine his skills, developing his ability to read the play and control rebounds. He led the Petes to the Memorial Cup. This helped garner him his first professional contract this summer. Now assigned to the Florida Everblades of the ECHL, Shantz is splitting time in net with 25-year-old Carolina’s Hurricane Craig Kowalski. After five games he is 4-1-0 with a 2.20 GAA and .922 save percentage. He ranks 12th in save percentage in the league.

Season League Team Games Record GAA Save % Shutouts
2004-05 OHL Mississauga 27 10-10-4 2.84 .909 0
2005-06 OHL Peterborough 49 31-14-3 2.87 .915 2
2006-07 ECHL Florida 5 4-1-0 2.20 .922 0


Tyler Plante

Drafted 32nd overall 2005

This 19-year-old puckstopper hails from Brandon, Manitoba where he is spending his third full season with his hometown Wheat Kings of the WHL. Listed at 6'3, 207 lbs., Plante uses a combination of size and skill to create a formidable obstacle. He came on strong in 2004-05, earning honors as the WHL's rookie of the year, as well as top goaltender in the Eastern Conference. This past August, he had a strong showing at Team Canada's National Junior Development Camp as one of six goaltenders invited to attend, but is not considered a favorite for the squad.

After 18 games with Brandon so far this season, Plante has a 9-7-0-2 record with a 2.99 GAA and .908 save percentage. He ranks 11th in save percentage in the league. The Panthers will need to sign him by June 1, 2007, and there’s little question that they will do so.

Season League Team Games Record GAA Save % Shutouts
2004-05 WHL Brandon 48 34-11-2 2.58 .907 6
2005-06 WHL Brandon 60 25-24-9 3.32 .898 2
2006-07 WHL Brandon 16 9-7-2 2.99 .908 0

Marc Cheverie

Drafted 193rd overall 2006

After posting a 23-9 record for the Nanaimo Clippers of the British Columbia Hockey League last season, Marc Cheverie was made a seventh round selection by the Panthers in 2006. He posted solid numbers while playing 46 games last season, posting a 2.54 GAA, .903 save percentage and four shutouts. At 6'2, 193 lbs. he possesses large size for a young goaltender, yet remains athletic enough to display above average quickness and reflexes. He plays an aggressive style of goaltending and does not hesitate to challenge the shooter.

Cheverie is back in Nanaimo for 2006-07, where so far he has recorded a 7-2 record with a 3.61 GAA and .864 save percentage in nine games. He earned a shutout on Oct. 23.

Next year Cheverie will attend Denver University, where fellow goaltender Peter Mannino will be a senior.

Season League Team Games Record GAA Save % Shutouts
2005-06 BCHL Nanaimo 46 23-9-0 2.54 .903 4
2006-07 BCHL Nanaimo 9 7-2-0 3.61 .864 1

Brian Foster

Drafted 161st overall 2005

Beyond Plante and Shantz, Florida has two project goaltenders. Foster was Florida's second goalie taken in the 2005 draft, behind Plante. In 2005-06 he helped the Des Moines Buccaneers of the USHL capture the Clark Cup Championship while obtaining a 12-9-3 record in 26 games. He held a 2.81 GAA and .903 save percentage during last season. The 6'2 185 lb. netminder is known to have an ability to stay calm in pressure situations.

Foster, native of Pembroke, New Hampshire, is a freshman at the University of New Hampshire. So far, Foster has seen little ice time, playing backup to junior Kevin Regan (BOS). He played just six minutes in a rout of Colorado College. Foster stopped all four shots he faced. He’ll need to bide his time.

Season League Team Games Record GAA Save % Shutouts
2005-06 USHL Des Moines 26 12-9-3 2.81 .903 0
2006-07 NCAA UNH 1 0-0-0 0 1.00 0

Copyright 2006 Hockey's Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.


Copyright 2006 Hockey’s Future. Do not reprint or otherwise duplicate without permission of the editorial staff.

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