Disaster strikes the Minnesota Wild's goaltending crease... again
Just when you thought they had made a move to fix things...
Just two days ago the Minnesota Wild announced the signing of 26 year old goaltender Dylan Ferguson, in anticipation of suiting him up for this evening's game against the Colorado Avalanche.
The Wild are in a SERIOUS salary cap crunch and with goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury reportedly out with illness and youngster Jesper Wallstedt still nursing an injury, the team needed a goaltender on a minimum-salary contract to back up starter Filip Gustavsson this evening. They're unable to make any call ups due to their cap situation and so Ferguson fit the bill... until, that is, Ferguson himself went down with injury.
Wild insider Michael Russo reports today that Ferguson was injured last night playing for the AHL's Iowa Wild and that Minnesota may have to dress an Emergency Backup Goaltender (EBUG) against the Avalanche tonight.
Knowing Fleury, he'll likely compose himself enough to suit up and sit on the bench, but this is a tough situation to be put into. There's a very good chance that the Wild will have to dress an EBUG tonight to back up Gustavsson and we all know what that means if Gustavsson goes down with injury during the game...
This may be an unpopular opinion, but I absolutely HATE the NHL's EBUG rule.
Sure, we had a Disney-esque fairytale moment with David Ayres back in 2020, but I firmly believe that the NHL needs to change this rule. Having a Zamboni driver or, in the case of Chicago Blackhawks EBUG Scott Foster, an accountant suit up for an NHL game is unprofessional and it makes the NHL look bush league. Their should be a proper emergency provision that allows the Wild to call up AHL goaltender Samuel Hlavaj for tonight's game even if it means the team exceeds the NHL salary cap.
Could you imagine the NFL allowing some long-retired college quarterback to take snaps during game action? It would be viewed as asinine and ridiculous because... well... it's asinine and ridiculous. Why is it any different for NHL goaltenders?
Maybe I'm out to lunch here, but I think the NHL needs to revise this rule and allow for teams to make proper emergency plans.
