The Edmonton Journal believes Oklahoma City Barons netminder Olivier Roy, who Edmonton Oilers' general manager Steve Tambellini says "has the potential to be a No.1 NHL goalie," is learning on the job. Roy, Tyler Bunz (Stockton Thunder) or the Barons' veteran goaltender Yann Danis could back up Devan Dubnyk when Nikolai Khabibulin's four-year deal ends after this season.
"There are goalies that teams want to rush and they put them in the National Hockey League, but there are goalies who have taken a longer route with success. Like Tim Thomas (retired for this season, but likely coming back) and Jonathan Quick," said Roy. "I really like how Quick did it. He learned the process in the East Coast, then in the American League, and he proved that he could play a high-tempo game night after night."
Oilers goalie coach Fred Chabot knows Roy (six foot, 180 pounds) is undersized as NHL goalies go these days. The average goalie last year was six-foot-two.
"There were five or six goalies around six feet who did really well last year," said Chabot, referring to Quick, Henrik Lundqvist, Jimmy Howard, Jaroslav Halak, Thomas and Niklas Backstrom.
"It's still possible for a small goalie to play in the NHL, but it's getting harder. The more athletic bigger goalies (Pekka Rinne at six-foot-five) are very quick and they cover more net. When you find an athlete who can play at a high level and he's got size, too, that really helps."
Chabot said the vertically-challenged Andy Moog and Chris Osgood could play in the NHL if they were 18 all over again because "they both found a way to win."
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