Scrivens is far better than last season’s 3.16 GAA and .890 save percentage would suggest. But none of that may matter come training camp, as he could be on the outside looking in on a roster spot. After coming over in a trade with the Rangers, Cam Talbot is expected to get the bulk of the starts, although that’s a huge jump for a guy who’s never started more than 34 games in a season. In addition to the Talbot acquisition, the Oilers also brought in 6-foot-5 behemoth Anders Nilsson from the Blackhawks, and the subsequent one-way contract Edmonton gave him means Scrivens is no longer guaranteed to be the backup. The job is the cerebral and competitive Scrivens’ to lose, but he’ll need to keep his guard up and maintain his focus or he could be bound for AHL Bakersfield, regardless of that $2.3 million cap hit.
Scrivens may be the answer to the Oilers’ goaltending dilemma. He was acquired from the Kings last season and pretty much stabilized the blue paint upon his arrival, delivering a .916 save percentage despite a 9-11-0 record. We should find out for certain if Scrivens is the long-term solution in the net this season, particularly with Viktor Fasth breathing down his neck. He certainly won't put up the numbers in Edmonton that he would have in Los Angeles, particularly behind a rather porous defense. Do not draft him as a No. 1 goalie, but he may provide you with value as a backup. That is, if he keeps Fasth at bay.
Scrivens joins the Kings following an offseason trade that saw Jonathan Bernier head to the Maple Leafs. He pushed starter James Reimer for playing time at various points of last season, but would seem to have a higher hurdle to clear in Los Angeles with starter Jonathan Quick firmly entrenched. He's certainly a serviceable backup, but will need an injury to Quick to carve out much of a role with the Kings.
Scrivens's stock is on a serious rise. He didn't show much in his 11 games with the Leafs last season, going 4-5-2 with a 3.13 goals-against average and a .903 save percentage. However, he returned to the AHL and promptly bricked up the net, carrying his team all the way to the Calder Cup finals. Scrivens's work with the Marlies, particularly in the postseason, have earned him a legitimate shot at the back-up job with the Leafs. Of course, that's contingent on the Buds not trading for a netminder before camp. Still, Scrivens can be an NHL starter some day and should be handcuffed to James Reimer come draft day.
Last season, Scrivens latched onto the Francois Allaire teaching style like a dog with a bone. He dominated in the ECHL and then logged heavy minutes in the second half with the AHL Marlies when Jussi Rynnas busted a digit. Cripes in March alone, Scrivens logged close to 800 minutes of ice time in 13 games and in the process, dispelled any myth that a U.S. college goalie can't handle a heavy pro workload. He and Rynnas will wrestle for time in the AHL this season and if last year was any indication, the job could ultimately belong to Big Ben. Cripes, he could even see time in the NHL if Jonas Gustavsson falters ... his future is growing brighter by the month.
Scrivens is an outstanding talent whose future appears to be blocked by a beaver dam of netminding prospects in the Leafs' system. He went 21-9-4 with a 1.87 goals against average and .934 save percentage at Cornell last season but is in tough to earn a job in the AHL this season. Both James Reimer and Jussi Rynnas appear to have the inside tracks on the two seats with the Marlies and Scrivens would only suffer in the ECHL.
