Big Payout Coming for Scott Clemmensen
New Jersey Goaltender Unlikely Hero
This time last year, Clemmensen was playing for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ AHL farm team. Shortly thereafter, he was suddenly without a job, having been cast aside in favour of Toronto’s young goaltending hopeful, Justin Pogge. But what a difference a year can make.
Signed to a one-year contract for $500 000 last July as a backup for the iconic Martin Brodeur, Clemmensen probably didn’t expect to be one of this year’s leading goaltenders in the NHL. After all, Brodeur is both a goaltending super-star and an ironman, playing 77 of 82 regular season games last year, and 78 of 82 in the 2006-07 season. But when Brodeur injured his left elbow on November 1st and was placed on long-term injured reserve, New Jersey was forced to turn to its backup goaltending. Most onlookers predicted disaster.
Clemmensen’s Impressive Numbers
Instead of disaster, New Jersey now sits atop the Atlantic division of the Eastern Conference, and Clemmensen has been a huge part of that success. And a quick look at the statistics available at NHL.com proves it. As of February 15th, the 31 year-old from Des Moines, Illinois, has posted the sixth most wins for a goaltender this season with 25 so far. Even more impressive, he owns the 6th best goals-against average at 2.31 goals per game, and his .920 save percentage is good enough for 9th best in the league. These two statistics are fundamental to measuring any goaltender’s performance, and Clemmensen’s numbers are better than many high-profile goalies such as San Jose’s Evgeni Nabakov, the New York Ranger’s Henrik Lundqvist, Vancouver’s Roberto Luongo, and Montreal’s Carey Price.
Some might argue that New Jersey is known for a defensive style of play that might aid a goalie’s numbers, but after playing 38 games, Clemmensen has faced 1072 shots, an average of 28.2 shots per game. Of the 30 goaltenders who have played at least 29 NHL games so far this season, the average number of shots per game ranges between 32.4 and 26.4. Only nine have faced an average of 30 or more in a game. Clearly, Clemmensen hasn’t enjoyed any significant advantage in the amount of work he’s expected to shoulder.
If the numbers don’t convince you, simply contrast the similar goaltending situation in Vancouver where super-star Roberto Luongo was also lost to a long-term injury, and no goalie was able to step up like Clemmensen has in order to fill the gap.
Clemmensen to be Traded?
So now that Brodeur finally appears to be set to return to New Jersey’s line-up in the coming weeks, where does that leave Clemmensen? Assuming that Brodeur finds his groove and remains healthy, Clemmensen will most certainly find himself forced back into a backup role.
And what about the Devils’ other backup goaltender, Kevin Weekes? New Jersey no doubt understands the importance of backup goaltending, as demonstrated by the Stanley Cup winning Detroit Red Wings last season, but they can’t carry three goaltenders. Considering that both Weekes and Clemmensen will become unrestricted free agents this summer, New Jersey faces a decision for next season: Clemmensen or Weekes as a backup for Brodeur?
Clemmensen has decisively made his case as the better goaltender, but his superior play translates into superior market value. If Brodeur returns to form quickly enough, Devils’ General Manager Lou Lamoriello, could shop Clemmensen to any number of teams positioned on the playoff bubble. In order to free up some salary cap space, Lamoriello could even package him with another Devil and soon-to-be a unrestricted free agent, winger Brian Gionta, in order to gain some badly needed physical help on defence.
Either way, it’s likely that this time next year, Clemmensen will no longer be making the NHL equivalent of minimum wage, and quite possibly he will earn that salary in a city that will give him a shot as a number-one goaltender.
What a difference a year can make.
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