In a parallel universe, Philipp Grubauer is Washington’s number-one goalie, riding a career-best season into a cushy new contract. In this universe, he’s expansion-draft bait.
By The Numbers
| 24 | games played |
| .926 | save percentage, all situations |
| 2.04 | goals against average |
| .940 | save percentage during 5v5 |
| .994 | low-danger save percentage during 5v5 |
| .939 | medium-danger save percentage during 5v5 |
| .837 | high-danger save percentage during 5v5 |
Visualization by HockeyViz
About this visualization: This series of charts made by Micah Blake McCurdy of hockeyviz.com shows various metrics for the player over the course of the 2016-17 season. A short description of each chart:
- Most common teammates during 5-on-5
- Ice time per game, split up by game state
- 5-on-5 adjusted shot attempts by the team (black) and opponents (red)
- 5-on-5 adjusted shooting percentage by the team (black) and opponents (red)
- Individual scoring events by the player
- 5-on-5 adjusted offensive (black) and defensive (red) zone starts
Peter’s Take
I could tell when Jose Theodore and Semyon Varlamov swapped goalie duties in 2010, or when Michal Neuvirth would fill in for Holtby in 2012, but I can’t honestly say I notice the difference when Grubauer stepped in net during 2016-17. Maybe that speaks to the goalie-whispering skills of Mitch Korn, but let’s not short-change Grubauer. He put up the best number-two goalie performance for Washington since Cristobal Huet in 2008.
Grubauer didn’t hit the minimum for the Jennings trophy, and his partner is a Vezina finalist, but none of that should diminish a season that would look damn good for any team’s starting goalie. By season’s end, only Craig Andersen and Aaron Dell fared better during 5-on-5 than Grubauer.
Going by pure percentages, Grubauer was technically better than Holtby this season.
And none of that matters now. With the expansion draft looming, Grubauer looks primed to leave town and join the Vegas Golden Knights, managed by the man who drafted him in 2010, George McPhee.
I’m torn. Unless this season was a mirage that he cannot repeat, Philipp Grubauer is an excellent goaltender who’s about to become a sturdy franchise leader. I’m happy for him, but I’ll miss Holtby’s nights off, when there was no reason whatsoever to panic because that goofy German guy has freaking got this.
Gru on RMNB
- Philipp’s season began early, when he led Germany to an appearance at the 2018 Olympics… where I don’t think he’ll play.
- Grubauer got his first NHL shutout early in the season, but does it really count if it’s against the Avalanche? Anyway, they made him wear the “will over skill” robe, which feels like punishment to me.
- Barry Trotz showed surprising and uncharacteristic faith in Grubauer after a stinker against Carolina. Grubauer repaid that faith.
- The Gru-parents are adorable. This season they finally got to see their son play in the bigs.
- Literally everyone from ESPN’s defunct hockey department thinks Vegas will nab Grubauer.
- Mousetrapped!
- Grubauer got in a rumble in New Jersey, and his goalie partner loved it.
- I’ll leave you with Tyler Seguin getting his heart broken by Philipp Grubauer in slow motion.
Your Turn
What are the chances Grubauer wears Caps red next season?
Read more: Japers’ Rink, Stars and Sticks
Headline photo: Amanda Bowen
