Wings Nation 2018-19 Player Review: Jimmy Howard

The goalie is such an important position for a team that struggles to score like the Detroit Red Wings. When you spend as much time in your own zone as the Red Wings do, the goalie quickly becomes the center of attention as the opposition rattles shot attempts towards the net.

Luckily for them, the Red Wings had Jimmy Howard backstopping them for most of the season. Howard played a whopping 55 games, which is third highest in the league among goalies who are over 30-years-old.

At 35-years-old and in a contract year, Howard played great. Through some minor injuries and (for the first time in his career) trade rumours, he was a calming presence in the Red Wings net. Often the difference between a one or two-goal game and a three or four-goal game, Howie kept the Wings within striking distance, at least giving them a chance to tie or win a game.

That’s why he wasn’t traded. The season was over, but it wasn’t about making the playoffs. It was about playing competitive hockey for the development of young players. It’s also why he was extended to a new contract. Howard is a life-long Wing and he doesn’t want to play anywhere. As long as his play keeps up, he’ll always be welcome in Detroit.

I wanted to show this heat map so people really understand what kind of traffic Howard faced. That big red space in front of the net shows how many more shots the Wings allowed in that area relative to the rest of the league. The more red it is, the worst it is for them.

This naturally leads to the statistic that the Red Wings were bottom of the league in: shots against per game played. With 33.7 SA/GP, the Wings were fourth worst in the league behind only Ottawa, Chicago, and the New York Rangers.

And yet, Jimmy Howard had pretty good individual statistics for his age. They weren’t perfect or elite in any way, but they were better than we could have asked of him.

Howard had some really good stretches this season before settling into his .909 save percentage. After the Red Wings lost their first seven games of the season, they went on a 10 game run that saw Howard post a .933 save percentage and lift them out of the basement of the league.

At his age, though, he can’t be expected to carry the team that strongly. So yeah, he fell back down to earth a bit, but never far enough for them to completely throw in the towel.

In the greater context of his career, Howard seems to be entering into the slow decline of one’s career. Long gone are the days of the +.920 save percentages and, frankly, the Red Wings don’t need that from him anyways.

At this point in their rebuild, the Wings don’t need a Stanley Cup caliber goaltender. They need someone who can be competitive and maybe provide some veteran leadership and mentorship in the room. Howie can do both of those things and he’s doing them at a reasonable price. It’s why I like his contract extension so much.

When the time comes for a new stud goaltender to take over, Howie will happily (and probably gratefully) step aside. He is not the goaltender of the future. He’s the goaltender of the now.

And we’re not trying to win now. We’re just trying to be competitive. And competitiveness is one thing that Howard has never lost.