Lisa Donovan follow @LDonovanator Posted on 6/29/2017.
Malcolm Subban was the Boston Bruins 2012 first round pick. It will be interesting to see if Subban got a one-way or two-way contract that allows Boston to put Subban on their NHL or AHL roster in Providence.
With Tuukka Rask having a one-way NHL contract and Anton Khudobin entering his contract year as Boston's backup on a one-way contract, it's safe to say Subban got a two-way contract.
Malcolm Subban is in a very interesting position. On one end of the spectrum, he's developed enough to push Khudobin for a roster spot. At the same time, he is also being pushed for the starting goaltender job by Zane McIntyre. McIntyre struggled until the 2016-2017 season, but did very well with 16 starts as the Providence Bruins starting goaltender in the 2017 AHL Playoffs where Providence reached the Eastern Conference Finals this past season.
Malcolm Subban has dominated in the AHL the last two seasons. He's struggled in the NHL when he got called up for a start and to make matters worse he was in the same draft class as Andrei Vasilevskiy who is the starting goaltender on the Tampa Bay Lightning and Matt Murray who became the starting goaltender on the Pittsburgh Penguins.
Here is how I see the goalie situation in Boston playing out after this season. Rask will remain the starting goaltender. I doubt Boston brings back Khudobin when you consider that both Subban and McIntyre are doing well in the AHL. One of those goalies will get promoted to the NHL to be the backup to Rask and the other will be the starting goalie on Providence.
Subban is 23-years-old and Boston can place an RFA tender on him until he's 25-years-old. McIntyre is 24-years-old and turns 25 in August. McIntyre also enters his contract year in his rookie contract so McIntyre will have some leverage and can decide if he wants a one-way contract in the NHL or if he wants to walk and go to another team. Subban does not have that leverage yet so that may compel Boston to keep Subban in Providence if he cannot beat out McIntyre for the starting job. If McIntyre doesn't start this season, he won't have that leverage.
That's why it will be very interesting to see how the goalie battle between Malcolm Subban and Zach McIntyre plays out in Providence. Both goalies could end up making a case for why they can replace Khudobin as the Bruins' backup allowing Boston to save cap space in 2018.
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