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| Jaroslav Halak makes a save in a 5-1 victory over the Anaheim Ducks |
First, he side-swiped Alexander Ovechkin and the number one seeded Washington Capitals. Then he brought the Sidney Crosby and Gino Malkin circus to a screeching halt.
Now, Halak is the back-bone of the St. Louis Blues, and so far so good.
The St. Louis Blues have started the season with two impressive victories. Through two games, the Blues have allowed just 2 goals and a young defense led by Erik Johnson is playing with confidence in front of Halak, only allowing Anaheim 14 shots on net.
"When he's out there, he's not very tense, but he's very focused on what he has to do," defenseman Barret Jackman said. "It's kind of calming to the rest of the team."
If the youthful Blues wish to make a return trip to the playoffs, Halak will need to be the back-bone of a young, talented defensive unit, something Blues faithful think he is more than capable of. Halak is the caliber net-minder the organization has been searching for to man the pipes for many years.
"There really hasn't been a standout, young goalie here since 'Cujo,' Curtis Joseph," said Bernie Federko a former Blues player and current TV broadcaster. "You look at Brent Johnson, but he wasn't really that highly touted. Cujo came out of college and he was 'the next big goalie' and he lived up to it. We haven't had that since. At 25, Halak could be the goalie of the future."
Others around the league think the Blues did well to trade for Halak this off-season, who was dealt from Montreal in exchange for young prospect forward Lars Eller.
"They got a goalie that has the potential to be a No. 1 for a long time," said one Eastern Conference scout, speaking anonymously. "Obviously, time will tell, but if you've watched him enough, he has the potential to be as good as any young guy in the NHL. Nothing is proven until he plays 10-15 years, but at every level, he's proven himself and shown that he can be a No. 1."
Halak is getting paid like a number one goalie too. After the trade, the Blues quickly locked up their talented netminder to a 4 year, $15 million contract.
A contract that if all goes to plan, will help the Blues receive plenty of return on investment.
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