From all indications, the Los Angeles Kings didn’t want to go into 2015-16 with AHL starter Jean-Francois Berube as their backup goaltender. Now they won’t have to, as they’ve signed unrestricted free agent Jhonas Enroth to a one-year deal.
Enroth is certainly a known quantity at this point; he’s got a .909 career save percentage, including a .904 last season split between Buffalo (as a pseudo-starter) and Dallas (as a backup to Kari Lehtonen). Enroth’s .906 post-deadline save percentage with Dallas (in 13 games) is identical to Jones’ 2014-15 save percentage with Los Angeles, and it’s probably safe to expect that level of goaltending here. The ceiling is lower than Jones’, of course, and it’s probably lower than Berube’s, but Enroth is capable of providing 15-20 games of decent backup performance.
Berube would likely be exposed to waivers if he doesn’t make the big club, but Jon Rosen has indicated that he believes Berube would clear. If he does, the plan is clear: one more year of development for Berube, and he gets the backup spot next season.
Thoughts on the move?