The NHL offseason is nearly upon us, and plenty of teams will be looking for an upgrade at the goaltending position. Instead of pressing their luck and trying to sign a free agent goaltender, teams could take a look at some backups around the league and try to make a trade with a team that can afford to lose a keeper. Here are five backups who are capable of being starters next season
Frederik Andersen - Anaheim Ducks
With Jonas Hiller likely leaving Orange County this summer, the Ducks will go to their youth between the pipes much like they did this postseason. Both Andersen and John Gibson saw time in net during this year's playoffs and it is unclear who will be the starter next season, but it is a job that both are more than capable of.
Andersen and Gibson were both highly-touted prospects who each lived up to expectations this past season. Gibson did not play nearly as much as Andersen, but could have the nod as next year's starter due to head coach Bruce Boudreau's faith in him during the playoffs.
Thomas Greiss - Arizona Coyotes
Greiss did a fantastic job backing up Mike Smith in Glendale this past season, posting a 10-8-5 record with a 2.29 goals against average and a .920 save percentage. He may not have everything it takes to be a legitimate starter at this point in his career, but he has given us no reason to doubt him.
Chad Johnson - Boston Bruins
When it comes to goaltending in Boston, Tuukka Rask has become a household name around the league and may be the best goalie in the world; however, his backup had a spectacular year as well.
Johnson put up a stellar 17-4-3 record with a 2.10 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. Not a bad stat line for someone who saw action in over a quarter of this season's games, eh?
Darcy Kuemper - Minnesota Wild
At this point it is very unclear who will be the starting goaltender in Minnesota next season. Josh Harding was great at the beginning of the season but missed the second half due to complications from multiple sclerosis. He will also be a free agent this summer.
Ilya Bryzgalov redeemed himself in net with a decent performance in this year's Stanley Cup Playoffs, but who knows whether or not he can be consistent. Ryan Miller or Martin Brodeur could also be options in free agency.
And then there is Kuemper, a youngster who has shown a lot of upside but may need more experience to become a legitimate starter. Minnesota is relying on him to be the future in net, but he may not get the nod right off the bat in 2014-15.
Dustin Tokarski - Montreal Canadiens
When Carey Price went down with an injury during this year's Eastern Conference Final, many expected the New York Rangers to defeat the Canadiens in four or five games. After all, Henrik Lundqvist vs. Peter Budaj or the rookie Tokarski is the definition of a mismatch, right?
The Rangers ended up winning the series in six, but goaltending proved to be the least of Montreal's issues as Tokarski almost stood toe-to-toe with King Henrik. His performance has led many to believe that he could be a starter somewhere else in 2014-15.