Ben Scrivens was a Godsend. An NHL team needs adequate goaltending, and a team like Edmonton—IN the NHL without actually being NHL calibre—well it’s a damn good idea to find Superman and throw him in there.
BEN SCRIVENS 13-14
- Boxcars: 21gp, 3.01
- SP: .916
- W-L-T: 9-11-0
- SP behind starter: .018 better than Dubnyk
- What do the numbers tell us? The numbers say Scrivens was an average (or so) NHL goalie for the Oilers. Compared to what had come before, he was manna from heaven.
- Was he a good acquisition? God yes! Scrivens was brilliant as he arrived, and his won-loss record, not that we judge him based on that, is 9-11-0. Without Scrivens getting the decision, the 2013-14 Oilers went 20-33-9.
- What were his overall numbers? 40GP, 2.55 .922
- .922 is very good. Tied for 11th in the NHL.
- What was his EV SP? .922 as well. 25 points better than Dubnyk.
- Are you going to do a Dubnyk RE? No.
- Should we talk about him here? We’ll do it in the Fasth RE.
- Was the trade good value? Yes. 63rd overall pick for your starting goalie? All day.
- LAK might get a very good player. Who probably arrives in the NHL in 2018.
- What if he doesn’t work out? MacTavish made a very good bet. Scrivens has a wonderful opportunity here, my guess is he grabs it.
- Some Oiler fans aren’t convinced of him. Some Oiler fans aren’t convinced of Taylor Hall.
- Are you completely convinced of him? Scrivens worked hard to get himself into this position, and has been rewarded for it with a contract and a number one job. If it doesn’t work out, it’s still a good bet.
- If he and Fasth become a solid tandem, that’s a huge item off the table. You bet, and at a reasonable price.
- What is he getting again? Two years times $2.3 million dollars.
- Why do you like him so much? I’ve actually followed Scrivens going back to his days at Cornell. He was the goalie during Riley Nash’s career there, so anyone who followed the Big Red could tell you Scrivens was a helluva goalie.
- Why this song? I’ll let you in on a little secret. Van Morrison’s music isn’t really about being happy. Not a lot of sunshine in Van City. I don’t think he skips much, and when he’s overcome by something it’s usually tragic or not something you mention to Mom.
- So, this is Van happy? I think so. It’s so fun, has to be. The strings are rambunctious, his voice is lilting—I’m reasonably sure this is joy.
- Is he the real deal? I’ll be satisfied not to read in between the lines.