Recent RotoWire Articles Featuring Jason Bacashihua
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The former first-round pick played in the Deutsche Eishockey Liga last year, posting a 2.63 goals against average in 52 games. The Flyers have several goalies in their system and with Ray Emery recently signed as an expected starter, and Steve Mason slotted to back him up, it's doubtful the aging Bacashihua will see any time in the NHL.
Bacashihua saw 23 starts with Adirondack (AHL) last year, posting a .903 save percentage. With starting goaltender Ilya Bryzgalov locked into a long-term deal and a slew of other goaltenders waiting in the wings, it’s improbable Bacashihua will see any starts with the Flyers this year. The goaltender has not seen NHL action since the 2006-07 season and it’s unlikely he’s on track for a comeback this year.
Bacashihua, who signed a one-year contract with Colorado in July, spent last season with the AHL Hershey Bears, posting a 17-3-1 record along with a 2.48 GAA and a .911 SV% for the eventual Calder Cup champions. Bacashihua is not expected to see much time, if any, at the NHL level this season as the Avs are well-stocked in goal with Craig Anderson manning the pipes and Peter Budaj backing him up.
Bacashihua put up decent numbers in the AHL last season with a 13-21-3 record to go along with 0.905 SV% and 2.77 GAA. He sits firmly in the #3 spot on the Avs' goalie depth chart, behind Craig Anderson and Peter Budaj. Unless Budaj really proves to be unreliable as Anderson's backup this year, Bacashihua will likely once again spend the entire season in the minors.
Bacashihua struggled in the AHL last season with a 6-14-2 record after being acquired from St. Louis for future considerations. He currently projects as the Avs' number three goalie and is unlikely to see any significant time at the NHL level this season, unless either Peter Budaj or Andrew Raycroft suffer a serious meltdown.
Bacashihua had a tough year at AHL Peoria in 2006-07, posting a 5-10-4 record with a 2.90 GAA and a .885 save percentage in 20 starts. Unless there's another injury situation like last season, don't expect to see Bacashihua behind the crease all that much for the Blues in 2007-08. He'll battle Hannu Toivonen for most of the season as Manny Legace's backup.
Bacashihua currently has no fantasy value, as he immediately fell to number three on the Blues’ goalie depth chart when the team signed Manny Legace. Look for Curtis Sanford to fill the role as backup and as a result, Bacashihua will likely spend more time in the minors this season developing his skills.
Bacashihua will start the season in the minors, and is third on the depth chart for St. Louis. Patrick Lalime, the number one goalie to start the year, is a question mark, going from one of the best defensive teams to one of the most inexperienced. Reinhard Divis, number two on the depth chart, has been a career minor leaguer, and at 30 is getting his first chance to start the year with the big club as the backup goalie. The Blues are expected to have some trouble this year, so Bacashihua could join the team on an everyday basis halfway through the year, where he could eventually get the starting job at age 23. When that happens, either this season or next, it should be the start of a solid career.
