With Mrazek showing he is good enough to be a NHL goalie, do we move Howard at the draft??
I see two options. The first option is to keep both goalies and have a healthy competition. If either one gets hurt, we have an above average backup. The negatives will be that there is no longer a solid number one and Howard's days are numbered. Is that fair to Howard? Do we want the highest paid backup in the game if Mrazek takes over?
Option number 2 (which I prefer) would be to move Howard for a top 4 Dman. i feel like to the right team he would fetch a good return. There are plenty of teams who will need an improvement in goal (Toronto? Buffalo? Philidelphia? Oilers?) that i think would like Howard. Personally, I'd package Weiss with Howard so we can move that awful contract. I think it would be plausible to move him at the draft.
One potential trade I could imagine working is to Toronto for Phanuef. We move Howard, Weiss (withhold 1.5 mil a year of contract) and a pick for Phanuef (they withold 2.0 mil a year of contract), Bernier/Reimer (for backup), and a prospect or pick (I don't know Toronto's system well enough). I think this would be an improvement simply because we wouldnt lose anything, and this is a great way to get Weiss gone which is going to a tough task for Howard.
Do you guys think its time to move on from Howard?
