By Damian Cristodero, Times Staff Writer
Tuesday, May 10, 2011
When Tampa Bay Lightning general manager Steve Yzerman said last week that he and his scouts would be watching the progress of Swedish goaltender Viktor Fasth at the world championship, he probably had no idea he would get such an eye full.
Fasth has been outstanding at the worlds: 4-0 with a 0.50 goals-against average, three shutouts and a .983 save percentage, having stopped 113 of 115 shots. Word also came Tuesday, through TSN's Darren Dreger, that Fasth was named Sweden's player of the year.
It is an interesting time for Lightning goaltending, which, thanks to Dwayne Roloson, hasn't been this good since Nikolai Khabibulin led the team to the 2004 Stanley Cup championship. But as sturdy as things look right now, Yzerman has some serious decisions to make.
Roloson, who will be 42 next season (though he is playing like he is 24), will be an unrestricted free agent on July 1. And the player the Lightning wanted as its backup, AHL Norfolk's Cedrick Desjardins, is battling a shoulder injury that has lingered since January, which raises all kinds of questions about his durability.
There are a number of teams interested in Fasth, the Oilers and Rangers, reportedly, among them. And certainly Yzerman, at this stage, hasn't made any final decisions on what his path will be. But Fasth is making an even bigger name for himself with his performance at the world championship. He also is putting more money in his future pockets.
Middle East Radio 4 Poland Madagascar City breaks Lee Cattermole
No comments:
Post a Comment