It's Time For The Bruins To See What They Have In Malcolm Subban
By Matt Dolloff, CBS Boston
BOSTON (CBS) -- In March of 2013, then-Boston Bruins GM Peter Chiarelli told 98.5 The Sports Hub's Toucher & Rich, emphatically, that he was not trading goaltending prospect Malcolm Subban. Four months later, he signed goaltender Tuukka Rask to an eight-year contract extension.
Fast forward three years, and Rask remains between the pipes for Boston while Subban remains stuck in Providence. But a rash of injuries at the goaltender position has put the Bruins in a spot where they likely have to start Subban for at least one of the next three games.
It's time to find out what they have with the former first-round pick.
Of course, they may not have a representative NHL goaltender, as Subban has done nothing to inspire confidence in his ability to perform at the highest level. He has been abysmal in the AHL so far in 2016-17, going 0-3-1 with a 4.50 goals-against average and .846 save percentage in four starts. His only start in the NHL, in 2014-15 on the road against the St. Louis Blues, was an unmitigated disaster, as he allowed three goals on just six shots and gave way to Rask on what was supposed to be his night off.
But the Bruins may be left without a choice if neither Rask nor Anton Khudobin can play Tuesday night against the Minnesota Wild at the TD Garden. Fluto Shinzawa of the Boston Globe tweeted that it "looks like" Subban will get the start against Minnesota. As Matt Kalman said in his Monday blog for CBS Boston Sports, it's "put up or shut up" time for Subban.
UPDATE: The Bruins have announced that Khudobin is expected to miss about three weeks with an upper-body injury. Malcolm Subban was the first goalie off the ice at the team's morning practice, indicating that he is in line to start Tuesday night.
It's fair to assume that Subban simply can't hack it in the NHL. In fact, you may be utterly obtuse to suggest otherwise at this point. But the bottom line is, this is a former first-round pick (24th overall in 2012) whom the Bruins stuck with for the first four years of his career and a player whom Chiarelli treated like an untouchable, invaluable asset.
Subban is still just 22 years old, so it would be unfair to say he's "running out of time" to prove himself. He may not be "ready" to compete at the NHL level, but if he's not ready to even be a serviceable backup in his fourth year as a professional, it's hard to believe he will ever reach the potential that a first-round pick is supposed to have.
It's not unprecedented for goalies at Subban's age to start games. Anaheim Ducks starter John Gibson is just 23 years old and is near the top of the NHL with five games started so far in 2016-17. The Winnipeg Jets have started 23-year-old Connor Hellebuyck for three of their five games, as have the Arizona Coyotes with 24-year-old Louis Domingue.
Maybe now is not the time for Subban in Boston, but the time should be drawing near.
For Subban, the most important thing for his next NHL game is to compete. He may not be talented enough right now to turn away 30+ shots within a given night, but the last thing he can do in this spot is to shrivel up in the spotlight. A start for Subban may only be on an emergency basis at this point, but it's still a huge opportunity for the 22-year-old to show that he belongs in the NHL - or, at least, that he will eventually belong.
Subban sounds like he has the right attitude about his situation.
"I feel like I'm battling; I feel like that's the biggest thing right now, is just to battle," Subban told Caryn Switaj of BostonBruins.com. "You know, it isn't the first time I've faced adversity; it's not going to be the last, so I don't feel too down on myself right now, to be honest."
Subban's 2015-16 season ended prematurely in February when he suffered a fractured larynx during a game between the Providence Bruins and Portland Pirates. It's fair to say that he is far from fully developed as a goalie, perhaps even behind in his development.
Subban can be afforded more time to improve and show why the Bruins took him late in the first round. But the clock is nonetheless ticking and he will likely get his first real, significant opportunity to stick at the NHL level on Tuesday night. If he can't at least "battle" like he said he would, the opportunities could start to dry up.
Matt Dolloff is a writer for CBSBostonSports.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect that of CBS or 98.5 The Sports Hub. Have a news tip or comment for Matt? Follow him on Twitter @mattdolloff and email him at mdolloff@985thesportshub.com.
