“If you believe them, you believe Stan Bowman and management, they’ve remained consistent in their messaging going back to the season, or back to the trade deadline, that they are fully confident in Stuart Skinner and Calvin Pickard. I think they re-engaged before Anaheim traded John Gibson to Detroit to at least see what the price tag was, if it changed at all. They’re up against the cap, so they feel they’d rather allocate their funds elsewhere than having to adjust the goaltending.

Other than an inquiry to Boston, I think in November with respect to Jeremy Swayman, I haven’t really gotten the sense that they’ve heavily explored the goalie market, other than just checking in and doing what they’re supposed to be doing and seeing what the market place is like.

But unless something comes out of left field, and the messaging is a facade, they’re going to run it back with their goaltending tandem and hope Stu comes into the season another highly motivated player with a big chip on his shoulder after back-to-back losses in the Final.”