from Eric Duhatschek of the Globe and Mail,

One of the great unknowable factors in NHL development circles is anticipating correctly when a young goaltender steps from promising prospect to legitimate No. 1 status.

Consider a trio of goalies in the spotlight during the first fortnight of the season, all of whom are approaching important crossroads in their respective careers – the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Jonathan Bernier, the Colorado Avalanche’s Semyon Varlamov and the Edmonton Oilers’ Devan Dubnyk.

wo are in the news for the right reasons – both Bernier and Varlamov are off to fabulous starts, as the Leafs and the Avalanche posted a cumulative 10-1 record in the early going. The other, Dubnyk, is at the opposite end of the goalie spectrum – lugging around a 5.43 goals-against average into Monday night’s date with the Washington Capitals and forcing people in Edmonton to wonder if, at the age of 27, he will ever be the legitimate starter that will carry the Oilers to championship heights.

The uncertainty over how good Bernier was/is was the primary reason the Maple Leafs were able to acquire him from the Los Angeles Kings for a relatively modest price: goaltender Ben Scrivens, forward Matt Frattin, plus a second-round draft pick.

continued plus a few more NHL topics...