The End for Dallas Stars Goaltending Prospect Brent Krahn?

It appears as though the career of (soon to be) 29 year old, often injured goaltending prospect Brent Krahn might come to an end with the Dallas Stars organization and their affiliates soon.

Hundred Degree Hockey manager and Defending Big D contributor Stephen Meserve alerted us today that Krahn had been left off the Texas Stars' "Clear-Day" roster and is therefore ineligible for the AHL playoffs. In his stead it appears as though Tyler Beskorowany will back up Richard Bachman going forward as the "little" Stars make a playoff push of their own in a race that's just as tight as the NHL's.

Krahn had only played in 12 games this season, going 6-6 with a 3.20 GAA. Injuries have plagued him for much of his career. He was originally drafted by the Calgary Flames and has played for nearly a dozen different teams spanning the WHL, ECHL, and AHL.

He posted a stellar first season with Texas last year and was given a start in Dallas last April as the Stars season wound to a close, but was pulled after allowing 3 goals to the soon-to-be Stanley Cup Champion Blackhawks. Krahn played well early in the AHL playoffs but was injured in the second round.

Krahn was given serious consideration from the organization and had a shot to win the NHL backup job in camp last September. "He's definitely in the mix," Stars general manager Joe Nieuwendyk said. "There are other options we are studying, but we love what Brent Krahn did this season, and we think he can go even further next season."

With Kari Lehtonen working his way back to full health and needing the majority of the starts in preseason, time was short and Raycroft and Krahn were given equal chance to show they were the man Crawford needed. Raycroft may not have stolen the show in exhibition play but neither did Krahn, and he needed a stellar performance to trump the veteran backup.

So he went down to Texas where, after being considered for an NHL backup job, you'd think the starting job would be his, but Richard Bachman had something to say about that. You know the rest. We theorized when he was sent down in September that this might be the case because it was said by many that Bachman was the best goaltender in camp not named Lehtonen, and that included Krahn and Raycroft. That turned out to be true and now Krahn has gone from potential NHL backup to left off the AHL roster in only six months.

If Brent Krahn is indeed let go then it thins the heard at netminder for the organization. Beskorowany remains an impressive, (and very large) promising 20 year old with lots of room to grow and Bachman can at least hold down the AHL job in the mean time unless "Besko" wrestles it away from him next year.

Waiting in the wings, of course, is 19 year Jack Campbell, who is still a couple of years away.

Brent Krahn's journey may not be over. He started in juniors 12 years ago and at age 28 could still be useful in other organizations or in Europre, and we wish him well in his future endeavors if indeed this is the end with the Stars.