Jonas Hiller has spent his entire seven-year NHL career with the Anaheim Ducks. It’s becoming more and more evident that he might not be in the Ducks’ plans for the future.
Questions about Hiller’s status as Anaheim’s No. 1 goalie arrived in the lockout-shortened season last year as rookie Viktor Fasth exploded onto the scene. Despite both netminders winning 15 games, Fasth’s numbers were better, posting a higher save percentage, lower goals against average, and more shutouts.
In their first-round series against the Detroit Red Wings, however, Hiller got the nod over Fasth. Ultimately, the Ducks fell to Detroit in seven games.
This season started off well for Hiller as he won his first four starts. Things peaked for him between Dec. 6 and Jan. 12, when the native of Felben Wellhausen, Switzerland won 14 consecutive games. Once that streak was snapped, his play went south real quick. In 18 starts since the streak, Hiller only has six wins.
The dip in performance paved the way for 24-year-old rookie Frederik Andersen, who was already putting together a stellar rookie campaign in net, to take the starting job. While Hiller won his first four starts of his season, Anderson won his first six, and 12 of his first 14. For the second consecutive season, rookie goaltenders have put up better statistics than Hiller.
Hiller and Andersen finished the season with records of 29-13-7 and 20-5-0 respectively. Still, Anderson had the lower goals against average and higher save percentage of the two. In the last 10 games of the regular season, Hiller started three and Andersen started five.
Hiller’s play towards the end of the season forced coach Bruce Boudreau to start Andersen in the playoffs against the Dallas Stars. So far, Andersen has won both games.
At this point, all signs are pointing towards Hiller not being a member of the Ducks in the near future.
With the emergence of Anderson, the Ducks would have a solid goaltender between the pipes, should Hiller move on. The Ducks have a highly touted goaltending prospect on the way up in 20-year-old John Gibson as well. Gibson, a second round pick of the Ducks in the 2011 draft, got his first taste of NHL action this season, starting and winning all three of his starts.
With these two goaltenders, there really isn’t much room to keep the 32-year-old Hiller. It also doesn’t help Hiller’s case that he will become an unrestricted free agent on July 1, when his current four-year $18 million contract expires. Both Gibson and Andersen are under their entry-level contract until the end of the 2015-2016 season.
Regardless of how the playoffs pan out for the Ducks, it might be wise for general manager Bob Murray to sign Hiller to a short-term contract to allow Gibson time to mature a in Norfolk of the AHL. Signing Hiller would also allow the Ducks to trade him and get something in return, if things go bad in net, rather than letting him walk in free agency.
Whether Murray signs Hiller or not, the Ducks have a bright future in net. Soon, they will not need him between the pipes anymore.