Three goalkeeper skills at the moment are combating for the primary between the posts – Muricas News

Final week, the polar bears as soon as once more organized a so-called growth camp along with the Los Angeles Kings. Quite a few skills from house and overseas auditioned below the supervision of skilled NHL coaches to advocate themselves for increased duties.

And within the case of 20-year-old Finnish goalkeeper Juho Markkanen, this idea has labored. On Wednesday, the Berliners introduced that they'd signed the goalkeeper for a 12 months.

Within the group, Markkanen is now not a stranger. Final 12 months, the Kings drafted the 112th goaltender within the fourth spherical of the NHL draft. In an effort to acquire match follow, Markkanen initially guarded the purpose of the Finnish first division aspect SaiPa Lappeenranta final season, later he went to HC Lugano in Switzerland.

So now the trail leads him to the polar bears, which additionally resulted from the shut bond between the polar bears and the kings.

Not an unknown experiment

“Juho Markkanen is a younger and really gifted goaltender who needs to take the following step in his NHL profession with us. He has monumental potential, which he additionally demonstrated at our growth camp,” mentioned sports activities director Stéphane Richer within the membership’s press launch. “With him, in addition to Tobias Ancicka and Nikita Quapp, we've got three vastly gifted goalkeepers below contract and are very nicely positioned as a goalkeeper.”

After Mathias Niederberger switched to ultimate opponent Crimson Bull Munich, the polar bears determined in opposition to signing a transparent primary, however are as an alternative launching a contest for a very powerful place within the workforce.

Whereas Quapp is probably going for use primarily by cooperation associate Lausitzer Füchse, Ancicka has an actual alternative to take the following step in growth after he carried out his back-up function very satisfactorily final season. Though Markkanen will likely be a troublesome opponent as a Finnish U18 and U20 goalkeeper.

The polar bears already dared to experiment with beginning the season with younger keepers in 2018. At the moment they began with Maximilian Franzreb and Marvin Cüpper, however later signed Kevin Poulin because the skilled primary. The Berliners are satisfied that the plan is now working. In any case, the observations on the Improvement Camp have been pleasing.