St. Louis Blues: You Can Stop Asking About Husso, He Isn’t Ready

COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 23: St. Louis Blues goaltender Ville Husso (35) blocks a shot in the first period of a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the St. Louis Blues on September 23, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH.(Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - SEPTEMBER 23: St. Louis Blues goaltender Ville Husso (35) blocks a shot in the first period of a game between the Columbus Blue Jackets and the St. Louis Blues on September 23, 2018 at Nationwide Arena in Columbus, OH.(Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

The St. Louis Blues have been at the center of goalie controversy for the past handful of seasons, but despite having an elite goalie prospect, he is not developing as quickly as we had hoped.

The St. Louis Blues drafted Ville Husso in the fourth round (94 overall) in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, but he has not seen as much time in the NHL as he and Blues fans have hoped.

Despite being drafted in the fourth round, Husso has risen through the ranks in the Blues system and is now considered the Blues top goalie prospects and one of the top young goaltenders in the league.

Husso was assigned to the San Antonio Rampage after seeing a lot of time in net during the Blues preseason. Some thought that Husso might be able to steal the backup spot from Chad Johnson, but he would have had to play out of his mind to earn a spot out of training camp.

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Both San Antonio and Husso have gotten off to slow starts this season. The Rampage are 4-12-0 and are in last place in the Central Division of the AHL.

Husso is not helping their cause either. He has started ten games for San Antonio this season, and his numbers are very poor.

He has a record of 1-9-0 and has a .879 SV% which is absolutely horrendous. While I do not watch any Rampage games, I am smart enough to look at numbers and understand that one win in ten games is not very good.

This, at least for now, should put an end to Blues fans clamoring for Husso’s promotion. People who have read my articles in the past know that I am a Jake Allen supporter and although he has struggled at times this season, it’s not time to pull the plug just yet.

Johnson has played well in his limited time in net for the Blues. So much so, that his play has ignited another goalie controversy in St. Louis. So even if the team walks away from Allen for an extended period, it will be Johnson in net and Allen backing him up.

I understand the intrigue of wanting Husso in the big leagues, but the way he is playing right now, he may not even be third on the depth chart in St. Louis.

Jordan Binnington is outperforming Husso this season. Binnington has played in three fewer games than Husso, but he has a 3-3 record and a .924 SV%. So even if there is an injury to either Johnson or Allen, it very well could be Binnington who gets the call before Husso.

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Husso is only 23 years old, so it is way too early to panic on the young Finnish goalie, but his start to the AHL season is a little troubling. For now, however, it is crucial that Allen and Johnson continue to stay healthy because it seems like the future will still have to wait.