Michael Hutchinson re-signs with the Winnipeg Jets –
The Winnipeg Jets have come to terms with restricted free agent (RFA) goaltender Michael Hutchinson on a two-year deal.
Michael Hutchinson
Position: Goaltender
DOB: Mar. 2, 1990 Born: Barrie, ON
Height: 6′ 3′ Weight: 202 lbs
Position: Goaltender
DOB: Mar. 2, 1990 Born: Barrie, ON
Height: 6′ 3′ Weight: 202 lbs
Shoots: R Glove: R
Drafted: Boston Bruins Round: 3rd Overall: 77th Year: 2008 NHL Entry Draft
Acquired: signed by the Winnipeg Jets as a “Free Agent” on July 19, 2013.
Michael Hutchinson, 26, played in 30 games this past season with the Winnipeg Jets. He posted a 9-15-3 record with a goals against average of 2.84 and a save percentage of .907. In 71 career NHL games, the Barrie, Ontario native has a 32-26-8 record with a 2.53 goals against average and .912 save percentage.
Contract Terms: Two-year contract worth an average annual salary (AAV) and a cap hit of $1,150,000 million per season.
Analysis: ? ?
Michael Hutchinson has had his ups and downs as a Winnipeg Jets goaltender since his stellar season in St. John’s (2013-14) where he almost single-handedly lead the IceCaps to the AHL Finals.
Hutch has been given a couple of chances to grab the starting job from Ondrej Pavelec but just hasn’t quite been consistent enough to keep the job. In the 2014-15 season where the Jets made the playoffs for their first and only time since returning to Winnipeg, he was a major contributor to their success.
The 2015-16 season saw Hutch struggle at times but he still showed me enough to stick around. I’m not a big fan of giving up on young goaltenders especially when the incumbent has been given plenty of chances in spite of below “league average” numbers.
In my opinion, the term and dollars in this contract are fair for both sides and gives Hutch a chance to rebound from an “off” 2015-16 season. It is quite possible he could be Ondrej Pavelec’s back-up this season or he could end up with the Manitoba Moose. I believe that Michael Hutchinson has a lot of good hockey left in him but it remains to be seen if he will ever be a full-time starter in the NHL. Can Hutch be clutch again? Why not? A lot depends on the team in front of him but ultimately it will be up to him.
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Yeah, poor Leaky Hutch.
The good news for him is that I don’t think he’s very good because I am almost always wrong.
So many pucks go thru’ him, and I think it is because he’s ‘over-moving’, which is exactly opposite the nature of all the compliments attributed to Hellybelly.
Good luck to him.