Make no doubt that we’re a few days behind the curve here but we would be remiss to not mention that the Winnipeg Jets had resigned backup goaltender Al Montoya to a one-year $601 deal, the exact same contract he signed when first joining the club last season.
Montoya spent portions of last season battling a lower-body injury that hampered his play, but was a serviceable option to spell starer Ondrej Pavelec and he came with a thrifty price-tag.
Montoya appeared in only seven games last season, starting five of them while posting a 3-1 record. Though his save percentage was a paltry .899, one could say that his sample was too small to characterize this as a poor season. Simply put, Claude Noel didn't utilize his secondary option in Montoya near frequently enough, a topic which this site has covered in the past. Furthermore, Montoya struggled most in games where he had to replace Pavelec posting save percentages of .727 (at Tampa Bay FEB 1/13) and .800 (vs. Washington MAR 22/13) in those contests.
Hopefully Montoya will see his role with the club increase this season and since Winnipeg is paying him the equivalent to an AHL level contract, this is yet another shrewd, calculated move by the front office.
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