One of the quieter but more meaningful decisions facing Winnipeg Jets general manager Kevin Cheveldayoff this off-season centers on the future of goaltender Eric Comrie, who is set to hit free agency and whose return is far from guaranteed.
The 30-year-old Edmonton native has become a genuine fan favorite since returning for his third stint with the organization that originally drafted him in the second round of the 2013 NHL Draft.
After bouncing around the league with stops in Detroit, New Jersey and Buffalo, Comrie found his way back to Winnipeg and has brought a dependable presence and a likeable personality to the backup role. This past season, however, the numbers were difficult to overlook.
Comrie finished with a 12-11-1 record, a 3.13 goals-against average and an .890 save percentage across 25 games, figures that fall well short of what a contending team ideally wants from its backup behind a Vezina-caliber starter like Connor Hellebuyck.
The Jets are not without internal options like goaltender Thomas Milic made his NHL debut this past season and has shown genuine promise throughout his development, giving the organization reason to believe he could be ready to take on a larger role in the not-too-distant future.
Domenic DiVincentiis is another name in the pipeline, though his numbers have been inconsistent, and the question of whether he can stabilize his game enough to function as a reliable NHL-level backup remains unanswered for now.
Should Cheveldayoff choose to look outside the organization, the free agent market could offer some intriguing alternatives. Names like Stuart Skinner, Connor Ingram and Vitek Vanecek could all potentially be available and may offer stronger statistical profiles than what Comrie produced this past season.
It will not headline the Jets' off-season, but the decision of who backs up Hellebuyck next year carries real weight for a team that views itself as a legitimate contender. Cheveldayoff will need to weigh loyalty, cost, and capability as he determines whether Comrie remains part of the plan or whether it is time to turn the page.
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