The Phoenix Coyotes, parent club of the San Antonio Rampage, traded Goalie Al Montoya to the New York Islanders for a 6th round pick in the 2011 NHL draft. Joe Fallon has been recalled from Las Vegas to replace Montoya as Matt Climie's backup. I could continue with the typical press release, but that can be found on any number of websites by doing a quick google search. And I'm not here for that.
Instead, I will give my personal thoughts. It was time. The Coyotes gave Montoya a ton of time and opportunity to prove he was ready to live up to his 1st round draft status. The bottom line, he wasn't able to do that on a consistent basis. At times, Al was a very good goalie. This was never more evident than his 5 game stint with the Coyotes in 2009 as a backup. In his 5 games, he compiled a 3-1 record and a very solid 2.08 GAA along with a .925 Save%. At times, Al was also just not very good. His performance seemed to hinge on his confidence. If he was sharp early, he typically would carry that through the whole game. If he let in a bad goal, or if his defense was playing poorly, it was going to be a long night.
Injuries seemed to be the biggest downfall for Montoya's career in the Coyotes organization. the better part of 2 seasons were last to shoulder injuries and with all that missed time, he just got passed up in the pecking order. I may be in the minority, but I think Al has the tools to be a successful NHL backup goalie. Whether that happens on Long Island is questionable, but Montoya is still young can still turn his career around.
Unfortunately, us Rampage fans won't get to see it first hand. Al is a great guy and I wish him nothing but the best. Good luck in Long Island, Al. And GO BLUE!!
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