Dallas Stars Inform Andrew Raycroft He'll Be Placed on Waivers Wednesday

by Brad Gardner on Dec 27, 2011 3:27 PM CST in Dallas Stars News

Well, that was quick. Mike Heika of the Dallas Morning News is reporting this afternoon that the the Dallas Stars have informed backup goaltender Andrew Raycroft that he will be placed on waivers Wednesday morning at 11:00am.

This means that Richard Bachman has taken over the role of Kari Lehtonen's backup, and the timing suggests that Lehtonen will be activated from injured reserve on Thursday at 11am when the roster spot officially becomes available.

"I think through his body of work, he's earned the opportunity to move forward at this level,'' Nieuwendyk told the Dallas Morning News. Read the rest of Mike Heika's entry on today's news here.

The Stars will continue to pay Raycroft's $650,000 salary at the AHL level, should he clear waivers. Richard Bachman makes $630,000 in base salary at the NHL level. Raycroft would join Tyler Beskorowany with the Texas Stars and should help form a good duo for coach Jeff Pyle's team in Cedar Park.

Despite struggles in recent games Bachman is technically 5-2-0 in nine appearances with a .912 save percentage and a 2.76 GAA. Andrew Raycroft technically surrendered the game winner in St. Louis last night and was saddled with the loss, bringing his record on the season to 2-8-0 in 10 appearances with a .898 save percentage and a 3.52 GAA.

Raycroft wouldn't be able to return to the NHL if he needed to without going through re-entry waivers, at which time another NHL team could claim him for half the price of whatever is remaining this year at that would-be point.

All that being said, the move does not come as a surprise. Bachman's eight straight starts, including a back to back situation, sent a pretty clear message. They said they wanted to evaluate him in that time, they did, and his numbers speak for themselves. Last night's performance was not a good one, but it was not enough to dissuade management on their apparent stance that Bachman will be a more effective backup of Lehtonen.

What do you think? After three wins to start, Bachman allowed..."unsavory" goals that unraveled games against the Devils and Blues, and one that started an Anaheim come back to erase a 3-0 lead (though the Stars would win in the end.) Would you have thought harder about keeping Raycroft, or do you chalk that up to a bit of overexposure in starting a rookie eight times in a row?

Either way, congratulations to Richard Bachman for seizing the opportunity presented.

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Comments

I chalk it up to over exposure.

Even with the softies he gave up, I still think he’s a better option than Raycroft.

Can’t Raycroft be recalled under emergency situations if Kari gets hurt, in order to avoid Re-entry waivers? And If a team is too cheap to pick him up at 650K, is he REALLY worth it at $325K instead?

"He punched the highlights out of her hair.... He punched the HIGHLIGHTS out of her hair!!!" -- Young Neil

by Tsudbury on Dec 27, 2011 4:03 PM CST reply actions

As we've spoken at length today about this very subject...I agree with you on all points.

But that’s pretty much par for the course.

"I know the last couple of years have been especially hard for Stars fans. To all of you: First let me say thank you for your patience and support, and please know that the uncertainty is now over." -- Tom Gaglardi

by EagleBelf on Dec 27, 2011 4:25 PM CST up reply actions

I'd guess that if a team is going to try to pick him up, they'll do it now.

He’s hardly above the league minimum. If they’re going to take a chance on him, I doubt there will be any that will want to wait and see if the Stars will put him through re-entry waivers.

That said, what teams might be interested? Tampa is in a bit of a bind in terms of goal tending, but I’m not sure this is the sort of chance they’d want to take. The Islanders are always looking for someone to put between the pipes this year, so they might be a possibility…but who knows? Other than those teams, I’m really not sure that there are any that would take the chance on him right now.

by WingnutInStarsCountry on Dec 27, 2011 4:44 PM CST up reply actions

I doubt any team will be interested in him, honestly.

Not after they’ve seen how we prefer a rookie to start 8 straight games over him. I think his days in the NHL may be about over.

"He punched the highlights out of her hair.... He punched the HIGHLIGHTS out of her hair!!!" -- Young Neil

by Tsudbury on Dec 27, 2011 4:45 PM CST up reply actions

I agree.

There’s not much chance that someone is going to look at tape of Raycroft this year and think that he might be the solution to their goaltending problems.

by EagleBelf on Dec 27, 2011 4:52 PM CST up reply actions

finally!

he’s been painful to watch the last two years. i doubt anyone will want him with the way he’s played, but i hope someone picks him up and he can put it back together. but is anyone else excited about the kari bachman tandem? now they have 2 guys than stonewall you on any given night, that has to be frustrating as hell for other teams, especially with the way the stars play. could they have just gotten more pesky with this move? me thinks so…

by the way worst e-news ever...

by heyitsthatguy! on Dec 27, 2011 4:55 PM CST reply actions

I chalk up his decline

to overexposing a rookie. Part of that is the initial adrenalin pump wears off after a couple of games and it is inevitable to sag.

Also the last game or two I think having Kari at practices obviously ready to come back would disrupt your focus. Not knowing if you have done enough, or are about to get sent back down.

This is a nice little pay bump for Bachman to deal with Christmas spending!

by 1paniolo on Dec 27, 2011 5:26 PM CST reply actions

Good luck Andrew

Unfortunate it had to come to this, but no one could stand to watch you scramble around your crease for any longer.

Bachman should play much better when he gets some time off, 8 games in a row is rough on any goalie let alone a rookie trying to break into the NHL.

by Henderson33 on Dec 27, 2011 5:33 PM CST reply actions

only one concern...

If Bachman or Kari get hurt near the end of year and they try to recall Raycroft would a team the Stars are chasing or worse yet chasing the Stars decide to pull him on recall just to force the Stars to settle on another unproven back up and even worse if it’s Kari that goes down force the Stars to tandem TWO AHL goalies.

by James DeBoi on Dec 27, 2011 5:45 PM CST reply actions

Not gonna happen iirc if you claim someone after the trade deadline you hae to leave them on your nhl roster

by can we get hatcher back on Dec 27, 2011 5:48 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

If I’m team ABC and am chasing the stars for the 8th playoff spot and Kari goes down wouldn’t it make sense for me to claim Raycroft on re-entry waivers and send my 7th or 8th defenseman down? The negative impact that is going to have on my roster isnt going to potentially be as bad as forcing Dallas into running 2 AHL goalies for the final push. That is/was my concern for sending Raycroft down over Bachman.

by James DeBoi on Dec 27, 2011 5:52 PM CST up reply actions

I see your point but...

Bachman clearly is no longer an AHL goalie, and hockey teams don’t really roll like that. It’s seen as weak to play lawyer ball.

What the Puck?

by DirtyBrotenScoundrel on Dec 27, 2011 6:18 PM CST via mobile up reply actions

that's why emergency conditions override that.

a team is required to have 2 goalies in their line up at all times. if one can’t play due to injury, you can call up another goalie under emergency conditions, and they are not subject to waivers. a team stealing him like that will never be an issue.

"He punched the highlights out of her hair.... He punched the HIGHLIGHTS out of her hair!!!" -- Young Neil

by Tsudbury on Dec 27, 2011 7:02 PM CST via Android app up reply actions

I don't think a team spends even 300K on a player they have to cart around and fill a roster spot just to beat one team.

If they’re spending money it’s going to be on someone to improve their own team so they can beat many other teams. I don’t know that I’ve ever seen a move made solely to hamper one particular team before.

by EagleBelf on Dec 27, 2011 8:58 PM CST up reply actions

Besides,

If they want to stop us, the better move is to make us take Crofty back and actually have him play for us.

by EagleBelf on Dec 27, 2011 9:00 PM CST up reply actions

Didn't something like that happen to

the Kings or Anaheim a couple years ago? Maybe that was UFA I’m thinking of.

But it wouldn’t surprise me at all if a team was willing to eat 300k to gain a competitive advantage over a direct competitor. I mean the Stars are effectively doing the same. They are eating Raycrofts salary to gain a competitive advantage. Not a big step to claim somebody. The real issue is having to put him on your roster. Now that would dissuade most.

by 1paniolo on Dec 28, 2011 12:06 AM CST up reply actions

If the Stars are naive enough to recall Raycroft a team claiming him will be doing them a favor by making a claim.

He isn’t an NHL goalie. He might not be an AHL goalie right now. Something is wrong with him.

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by Josh Lile on Dec 27, 2011 6:23 PM CST up reply actions

With that being said.

I’d keep Raycroft. Bachman isn’t ready, or particularly good right now. I’d rather keep the depth and let Bachman develop in a low pressure situation.

by Josh Lile on Dec 27, 2011 6:54 PM CST up reply actions

You mean you would have kept Raycroft

Apparently you and GM Joe don’t think alike.

Defending Big D's "Official" Western New York Representative

by Mike Russo on Dec 28, 2011 6:47 AM CST up reply actions

Thanks for pointing out the obvious.

There isn’t much reason to keep Bachman up. He’s giving up as many bad goals now as Raycroft was, and he has the ability to go to the AHL with no possibility of being lost to waivers while gaining more development time. I don’t see the downside to sending him down.

by Josh Lile on Dec 28, 2011 7:25 AM CST up reply actions

hypothetically

this probably won’t happen, but say Kari is hurt again. we obviously don’t trust raycroft in the nhl and besko and Campbell aren’t ready. who do we get? id suggest turco just for the remainder of the season. still, like I said probably won’t happen but he is an upgrade over raycroft and we could get him for cheap to back up bachman or vice versa if bachs stumbles.

by DStarsFan on Dec 27, 2011 6:36 PM CST via Android app reply actions

i agree with this

he let in some softies but i trust him more they rayzr

GET OFF NIEUWENDYK'S NUTS

by 8thegreat on Dec 27, 2011 8:34 PM CST reply actions

Hate to say it.

But off you go Andrew.

Trevor Daley is my cup of tea.

by Henri Muroke on Dec 27, 2011 9:32 PM CST reply actions

I like him as a person, as a teammate, as a pro.

He is just not very good as a goalie right now, and that’s probably a right decision by management.

by iHorses on Dec 27, 2011 9:52 PM CST reply actions

I saw Raycroft after practice and he did not look happy

To his credit, he came out and signed autographs, but he was not too pleased when someone mistook him for Bachman

by CrackerJap on Dec 28, 2011 1:40 AM CST reply actions

Whatever we think about Raycroft

he has been a pretty stand up guy, and a good team player.

I think that he has lost all confidence since he was bench for ages towards the end of last season. Yeah he had a few bad games, but sticking him on the bench last year really has hurt him i think. I think it told him that managment had lost it with him. I know we have a new coach, but in the back of his mind coming in this year perhaps he was putting allot of pressure on himself in the fear managment could dump him to AHL any minute.

Just my 2 cents.

Good luck Rayzor

by Matt Wright on Dec 28, 2011 3:15 AM CST reply actions