Karel Vejmelka must make the most of his opportunities
It’s not often that you see a backup goaltender or, in Karel Vejmelka’s case, a 1B. But even through the rough stretch, Arizona’s starter, Connon Ingram, has held up. Vejmelka has been a different story, posting an 0-4-0 record to go with a pedestrian 0.857 save percentage since the new year commenced.
No, it’s not like Vejmelka was playing well before January, but at least he was putting up somewhat respectable numbers. While his record between October 13th and December 27th sat at just 6-7-2, Vejmelka still posted a 0.902 percentage and a shutout, which aren’t bad numbers for a 1B.
Contrast that with Ingram’s numbers since the first of the year, as Arizona’s starting netminder has put up a 4-4-1 record, a shutout, and a good 0.910 save percentage. Like Vejmelka, Ingram’s numbers haven’t been outstanding, but it’s not hard to tell who has done a better job of helping the Coyotes navigate through the tougher times.
Should Arizona start winning again, especially when Ingram is in the net, they may need to consider moving on from Vejmelka. With the trade deadline coming up, the Coyotes could easily bring someone to Tempe and team up with the steady Ingram.