5 NHL Teams Still In Need Of A 3rd String Goalie

Goaltending depth is very important to have in the NHL these days and it could make or break a team's season if one or both of the top goalies are taken out with injuries. Some 3rd string goalies save the day and become heroes for that season, even earning themselves larger roles in following seasons, while certain teams without depth struggle. As the summer winds down and we get closer to training camp, these are five teams that could still do with adding another goalie to the mix.

Anaheim Ducks

24-year-old Lukas Dostal is continuing to get more trust as the Anaheim Ducks shift into the future. The young goalie started 38 games and played in 44 games last season behind John Gibson. Behind these two, who would be more capable on a better team, there is no help. The Ducks have four more goalies signed in their system, but the top option is Calle Clang who posted a .897 SV% in 32 AHL games and appeared in two games in the ECHL. That isn't the type of help a team needs as the team has hopes on improving from last season.

Colorado Avalanche

It is very important for a Stanley Cup contender in the Colorado Avalanche to have a safety net in goal as there needs to be another option behind Alexandar Geogiev and Justus Annunen. While I don't see either of these goalies losing their job in the NHL, injuries could strike and the two netminders in the system, Trent Miner and Kevin Mandolese, both split time between the AHL and ECHL last season. Miner did particularly well in the AHL last season in 18 games, but it could derail a run if the Avalanche's goalies go down at the wrong time and Miner is forced into the spotlight ahead of time.

Montreal Canadiens

The Montreal Canadiens went into last season with three goalies on the roster. That has now been figured out as Jake Allen was traded prior to the trade deadline. With Sam Montembeault and Cayden Primeau in the NHL, there are some talented young options on the way, but not close enough to provide immediate support if needed. Jakub Dobes still needs more development, so ideally, the Canadiens could grab a goalie to bridge the gap.

Tampa Bay Lightning

While it's not likely the Tampa Bay Lightning have a situation like the start of last season where the team had to deal with an Andrei Vasilevskiy injury and didn't have much depth at all, the same could happen at any point again. Jonas Johansson is still the backup and Matt Tomkins is the 3rd string goalie right now, but the Lightning need to do better. Neither could hold the team down and championship aspirations would go right out the window with another injury to Vasilevskiy at the wrong time.

Vancouver Canucks

There is a lot of talk surrounding the Vancouver Canucks' situation in net as starter Thatcher Demko may miss some time to start the season. With injuries, you never know how long it could be extended either. The Canucks don't have another good option and Arturs Silovs will have to carry the full weight of the team if there is a worst case scenario. The Canucks at least need another option with NHL experience and there are goalies still available.