That comes despite an unusually stable year at the position, which saw Drew MacIntyre and John Muse available for almost every game save for MacIntyre’s representation of Canada at the Spengler Cup just after Christmas. If not for incoming prospect Rasmus Tirronen getting a chance to make his pro debut just a few weeks ago, MacIntyre and Muse would have been the only two goalies to play for the Checkers, down from a franchise record of nine last season.
Instead, the uncertainty comes from the usual source – contract status. Both MacIntyre (a two-way pact with Carolina) and Muse (an AHL deal with Charlotte) are coming off one-year deals and are set to become unrestricted free agents.
Carolina prospects are once again knocking at the door, though Daniel Altshuller, a third-round pick in 2012 and a candidate to provide backup in Charlotte at this time last year, ended up playing exclusively at the ECHL level, where he appeared in just 14 regular-season games. Tirronen, who the Hurricanes signed as an undrafted free agent from Merrimack College in March, could also start the coming season in Charlotte.
With those two combining for just one career AHL game played, the Checkers will likely need more experience to head their goaltending tandem. The Hurricanes, who were fortunate enough not to need it this season as their injury history at the position took a drastic turn for the better, will likely want more depth.
“You want to make sure you have a guy that you trust is ready for that next level if something happens up top,” said Checkers coach Jeff Daniels. “There’s no pressure for the young guys who are down here to play, make mistakes and learn from them, but you want a goalie that’s ready to get to the next level if needed.”
Long story short, if MacIntyre and/or Muse don’t return, the organization will still have a need for someone an awful lot like them. Now, a more detailed look at those players and others in the pipeline:
UNRESTRICTED FREE AGENTS
Drew MacIntyre
2014-15 stats: 51 GP, 20-26-5, 2.84 GAA, .914 SV%
One of the Checkers’ most important players this season, MacIntyre set franchise records for games played and saves made. He also climbed into ninth place in AHL history with 212 career wins.
The only problem is that, for a 31-year-old with 12 professional seasons now under his belt, the wins did not come often enough in 2014-15. This season was just the second time MacIntyre has missed the Calder Cup Playoffs since playing his first game in 2006, and his perception of the Checkers’ ability to get back to the postseason will have a heavy influence on if he’d be interested in returning.
"If they want to have a really young team again next year then I don’t want to be here. Flat out,” said MacIntyre. “I love the city, I love the organization and I’d love to be back, but if we have one of the youngest teams again then no, I’m not interested.”
The organization never got an opportunity to see what MacIntyre, who has played just six career NHL games, could do in a Hurricanes uniform – something that could factor into the team’s interest level. That could be considered something of an unexpected development, as injuries in recent seasons would have made him the Hurricanes’ starter by the second of third week.
“We joked about that a couple of times,” said Daniels. “Sure enough, the year that’s going to be his break, they’re healthy up top. There’s nothing you can really do, but it’s funny how that works.”
Based on MacIntyre’s body of work both in his career and this season, the Hurricanes could do much worse for an organizational No. 3 and an expected No. 1 in Charlotte. If that’s his role, MacIntyre would be happy to play it as long as the Checkers add some experience in other areas.
John Muse
2014-15 stats: 29 GP, 10-12-2, 2.68 GAA, .916 SV%
Still the Checkers’ all-time wins leader, Muse’s ever-changing role with the team over the last four seasons trended more towards that of the backup to MacIntyre for much of the 2014-15 campaign.
That said, he still performed when called upon on many occasions, as his personal numbers were actually better than when he set a franchise record for single-season victories last season (27). He enjoyed most of his success in the second half of this season, winning eight of his last 12 decisions.
“I want to be out there playing every game, and unfortunately that didn’t happen as much as I would have liked this year, but at the same time we had two very capable goalies,” said Muse. “As much as I would have liked to play, Mac did a great job this year.”
Muse has proven in the past that he’s capable of being the top option in Charlotte, though like MacIntyre, he remains relatively untested at the NHL level when it comes to being the first call-up option. His potential return will come down to whether the Hurricanes feel he can fill that role or would still like to have him as depth behind someone like MacIntyre and ahead of their incoming prospects.
For his part, Muse could also be in the market for more playing time than he received this season.
I’m very confident in how I play and I think the guys around me are confident with how I play,” he said. “I think regardless of where I am I can play at a high level and be a No. 1 guy for a team. That’s what my goal is and I have a lot to work on still, and that’s what I’m going to do over the summer.”
STILL UNDER CONTRACT
Daniel Altshuller
The first-year pro struggled to earn playing time this season, going 8-3-1 with a 3.21 GAA and .881 SV% with the Everblades over the course of the regular season. He may yet get the opportunity to play more of a factor in the ECHL playoffs, where he backed up Allen York to start the current first-round series against Orlando.
Having only dressed for three Checkers games as backup to Muse while MacIntyre was at the Spengler Cup in Switzerland, he remains unproven at that level but could land a backup role if the organization feels he’s ready.
INCOMING
Rasmus Tirronen
Like Altshuller, who checks in at an identical 6-foot-3 and 200 pounds, the college product from Finland brings plenty of raw size to the position. After allowing two quick goals in the final home game of the regular season on April 12, Tirronen settled down to finish with 32 saves and the victory. He has a good chance of earning more appearances for Charlotte next season as part of a timeshare with a more experienced partner.
