Let';s get one thing straight: there is no goaltending controversy in
Winnipeg... at least not when it comes to their starter.

Connor Hellebuyck is the Jets'; undisputed number-one netminder. The
25-year-old is coming off a sparkling season and entering 2018-19 with a new
lucrative yet team-friendly deal. In 2017-18, he notched a career-high 44 wins
and six shutouts, posted a .924 save percentage (SV%), a goals-against average
(GAA) of 2.36, and was nominated for the Vezina Trophy - an award he should
have won. He did all that despite beginning the season as Steve Mason';s
backup.There';s no doubt Connor Hellebuyck will be the bonafide starter for the
 Jets this season, but there is doubt about who will be behind him. (Neville E.
 Guard-USA TODAY Sports)

But wait a second. Mason, from whom Hellebuyck stole the job after his
turbulent start to 2017-18 and subsequent injury woes is gone. So is Michael
Hutchinson. That';s where the controversy - or better put, the clash - comes
in. The role of Hellebuyck';s backup is wide open and there are two
inexperienced yet intriguing candidates looking to fill that role: Eric Comrie
and Laurent Brossoit. Going into training camp, expect the battle of the
backups to be close, keen, and competitive.Eric Comrie: The Inside Man

Comrie, 23, was chosen 59th overall by the Jets in the 2013 NHL Entry Draft and
 has spent the last three seasons with the Manitoba Moose.Eric Comrie has spent
 three full seasons in the AHL but has limited NHL experience. Is he ready to
make the jump? (Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports)

Comrie';s career AHL numbers - 136 games, 52-67-16 record, 2.95 GAA, and .908
SV% - don';t give an accurate reflection of his play. Two of his three
campaigns were spent with defensively porous, transient Moose squads that
finished second-last in the Central Division, and he was given next to no
support and peppered with shots.

His 2017-18 numbers - an 18-13-3 record, 2.58 GAA, and .916 SV% - were
achieved with a much better Moose squad that finished 16 games above .500 and
are more indicative of his skills.

Comrie';s been recalled a number of times by the Jets, especially last year.
However, he has made just four NHL starts, three of which came last year, and
no relief appearances. In his four starts, he has a 2-2 record, a 4.00 GAA, and
 .880 SV%.Laurent Brossoit: The Fresh Blood

For a fleeting moment it looked like the Jets had swung the door wide open for
 Comrie to claim the backup role by default after they dealt Mason to the
Montreal Canadiens in a cap-clearing move on the eve of free agent frenzy.
However, they shut the door the next day when they inked free agent goalie
Laurent Brossoit.The Jets nabbed inexpensive free agent goaltender Laurent
Brossoit on the opening day of free agency. (Sergei Belski-USA TODAY Sports)

Brossoit, 25, was drafted by the Calgary Flames 164th overall in the 2011 NHL
Entry Draft, but has spent almost his entire five-year career in the Edmonton
Oilers organization. He';s appeared in NHL games in four different seasons and
in AHL games in all five - his AHL experience was mainly with the Oklahoma City
 Barons and the Bakersfield Condors. In 144 career AHL games, he boasts a
69-55-14 record,  a 2.71 GAA, and a .913 SV%.

Brossoit has more NHL experience than Comrie. His longest NHL stint was last
year with the disappointing Oilers, when he appeared in 14 games, mostly before
 Christmas. In 28 career NHL games, comprised of 20 starts and eight relief
appearances, he has a 7-13-2 record with a 2.97 GAA and .897 SV%.Who Has the
Inside Track?

With the Jets'; looming cap crunch that will manifest itself fully after next
season, Brossoit';s low price tag ($650,000) was a big reason for this
acquisition but makes the backup position more in flux than if the Jets had
signed a more experienced free agent netminder such as Carter Hutton or Anton
Khudobin.

Brossoit signing means Eric Comrie has a good opportunity to snap up the backup
 role at this point. Things could change from now until then, but that's the
scenery at the moment.

- Scott Billeck (@ScottBilleck) July 1, 2018

If one has a leg up on the other, it';s not immediately apparent. It';s a
wide-open battle with no clear front-runner. One could view the Brossoit
signing as an indicator the Jets don';t have faith in Comrie';s skill set and
are skeptical of his NHL readiness.One can read the Brossoit signing in a
number of ways but it';s clear he';s not a shoo-in simply by virtue of signing
on as a free agent. (Bruce Fedyck-USA TODAY Sports)

Conversely, one could view the signing as an insurance policy in case injuries
crop up in the crease like they did last year, with Broissoit being the
equivalent of Hutchinson and Comrie being the equivalent of Mason. Furthermore,
 one could view the signing as a way to push and challenge Comrie as
competition begets quality or at least that';s the idea.In Consideration of
Comrie

Jets fans are tough on Comrie, perhaps tougher on him than any other Jets
prospect. Reddit and other online forums are rife with comments that the Jets
should write the 23-year-old goaltender off. Online pundits criticize his
size, positioning, and NHL performances, and in some cases have called him a
bust and a flop.

Like any criticism from a passionate fan base, some is legitimate and some is
over-the-top. There are a lot of knee-jerk reactions from those basing their
observations only on Comrie';s four shaky NHL starts and not the full breadth
of his career. While it';s true his big-league performances thus far haven';t
inspired much confidence, four games is a microscopic sample size. It';s tough
 to draw any firm conclusions about his readiness for the backup role from 240
minutes.Comrie has faced his fair share of criticism from Jets fans but the
reality is one cannot draw firm conclusions about his readiness for the NHL
from just four starts. (Aaron Doster-USA TODAY Sports)

Like any young goaltender, Comrie has strengths and weaknesses. At times, he
struggles to see through screens and divert rebounds into low-risk areas.
However, he possesses good lateral movement, never gives up on a play, and is
very athletic; all are assets. He';s often been solid for the Moose and held
them in games that had no business being close, especially in their first two
seasons after returning from the East Coast.

Going with Comrie over Brossoit as Hellebuyck';s backup jives better with the
organization';s track record of promoting from within and looking for internal
solutions before seeking outside help. Kevin Cheveldayoff and Paul Maurice are
nothing if not loyal, which may bode well for Comrie';s chances.Bearing
Brossoit in Mind

At the end of the day, though, there';s no denying Comrie is inexperienced.
Brossoit';s deeper level of NHL exposure could give him a slight advantage.
While his big-league experience is not monstrous by any means, any NHL
experience is good experience.The majority of Brossoit';s appearances came last
 year with the poor 2017-18 Oilers, which skews his numbers. (Amy Irvin / The
Hockey Writers)

Brossoit is coming off the season in which he made the most NHL appearances of
his professional career (14), including ten starts. In those starts, he was
3-6-1. His 2017-18 numbers - a 3.24 GAA and .883 SV% - quite frankly, look
pretty bad. However, they are understandable when you consider the Oilers team
in front of him, that got out of the gate slower than a one-legged horse and
was 13-19-2 by the time Brossoit had made all but one of his appearances.

With the 2016-17 Oilers, who were much more competitive and finished 21 games
above .500, his numbers - 4-1-0 with a 1.99 GAA and .928 SV% - are much
better. Admittedly, those sample sizes, like Comrie';s, are small.

Like Comrie, Brossoit has his fortes and foibles. He is strong, agile, and has
the size - something you can';t teach. He is capable of making dazzling saves
but is also prone to giving up weak goals and getting inside his head when he
does. Dobber Prospects'; summary spells it out best:

(Brossoit) appears to be running in place at times and needs to become more
consistent to stay in favour with his team.

He is at an integral point in his career. At 25 years old, he is aging out of
the "prospect" tag that will be afforded to Comrie for a little while. He
hasn';t been able to establish himself at the NHL level yet and his time to do
so is running out. He will likely be entering camp motivated and with a chip on
 his shoulder.What to Expect in the Preseason

The Jets have seven preseason games between Sept. 17 and Sept. 27. Count on
Comrie and Brossoit to get the bulk of the work - three starts each most likely
 - and the battle to be on full display. The Jets will undoubtedly want to see
as much as they can from both of their candidates before granting someone the
gig.

Expect Hellebuyck to have a light workload as a result - he';s got nothing to
prove. He';ll likely appear in one or two late-preseason contests just to
ensure he';s tuned up and ready for the Jets'; Oct. 4 season opener against the
 Los Angeles Kings.

Whoever wins the job as Hellebuyck';s backup will do so through merit. Whoever
doesn';t impress will be sent to the AHL, but don';t expect them to stay on the
 farm if the other struggles in the big league. There will be other battles
brewing at Jets training camp, but this is the one that';s most likely to boil
over, so keep a close eye on it.

The post Battle for Jets Backup Is Brewing appeared first on The Hockey
Writers.

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