by Stefan Herget @NHLde / NHL.com/de
For goalkeeper Philipp Grubauer of the Stanley Cup co-favorites Colorado Avalanche, who were eliminated in the playoffs, the disappointment is slowly fading. For the third time in a row, the team, which is full of great talent, was eliminated in the second round. Before that, the Avalanche had won the Presidents' Trophy for the NHL's highest-scoring team with 82 points (39-13-4) in 56 games and had the best offense in the league with 197 goals. There was great hope that they could achieve more this year.
But even Grubauer, who, together with Marc-Andre Fleury from the Vegas Golden Knights and Andrei Vasilevskiy from the Tampa Bay Lightning, is nominated for the award for the best goalkeeper of the season (Vezina Trophy), could not avert the exit. The 29-year-old Rosenheimer, who won the Stanley Cup as a backup for the Washington Capitals in 2018, can still be considered one of the winners this season. His long-held wish for status as number 1 on a top team in the NHL finally came true and he emphatically backed it up. Because of his expiring contract, he is considered the most sought-after goalkeeper on the upcoming free agent market, which opens on July 28th.
Interesting topics such as the national team's recent success at the World Cup, which NHL.com/de spoke to Grubauer about in an exclusive interview.
What is your personal conclusion about the season?
"It was an outstanding regular season for the team and we were top in the first round of the playoffs, but then things got a bit tough against Vegas and we weren't able to reach our potential. We couldn't find our game again and lost four games in a row. Then the season was over."
What lessons did you as a team learn from being eliminated again in the second round?
"When I look back at winning the Stanley Cup with Washington, it took us five or six years to get there. It's the same with Tampa Bay. They were outstanding for years, won the Presidents' Trophy with the most wins of all time in NHL history and were knocked out in the first round by Columbus in four games. Of course, as a team you have to make mistakes to get better and reach your goal. We have a very young team that needs to gain experience first. But hopefully we will learn from these mistakes next season."
You are also considered very critical of yourself. What could you have done better?
"Saving one or two more shots (laughs). But it's a team sport and if only five players are at their best and ten are somewhere else with their heads, then you can't win. To win the thing, you need every round, every game, every effort and every minute. As a team, we made a lot of individual mistakes that you shouldn't make in the playoffs."
Will you continue to be a part of the Avalanche's development?
"Of course I hope I can continue to wear the Colorado jersey. But in times of the salary cap era, they still have to extend a few other players: Cale Makar, Gabriel Landeskog and Brandon Saad. A lot of contracts are coming up and a lot will happen in the next three to four weeks until the expansion draft. We'll see how it looks before and maybe after."
What do you think the chances are that you'll stay in Denver?
"That's difficult to say. A lot depends on other players. All players have to fit under the salary cap. If one signs for more, then the other may have to move and look for another team. But maybe space will be made because a lot of contracts are expiring at the same time."
What's it like to be considered the best goaltender on the free agent market?
"That's nice to hear. After all, I want to improve every year and be one of the best goalkeepers in the league. I've achieved that potential this year. A bit of luck is always involved. A big advantage was that I stayed injury-free. Next year it's all about attacking again and being there for the team just like I was this year. With the experience we've gained, we should be even stronger."
How would it be for you personally to be the second German to win the Vezina Trophy after Olaf Kölzig and after Leon Draisaitl's great success as MVP last year?
"It would be great and a great honor for me. Not just for myself, but also for the entire organization, the many people who work hard for us in the background, such as goalkeeping coaches, teammates, masseurs, physiotherapists, the guys who are responsible for the equipment. They all play a key role in ensuring that we players are fit and can give our best performance on the ice. It would therefore not only be an award for me, but for the entire club. Hopefully it will work out, even more so this year because we didn't win. I would be very happy."
What do you think of the national team's performance at the World Cup?
"I saw two or three games and I was very happy about reaching the semi-finals and ultimately coming fourth, even if it wasn't enough for a medal. It was outstanding what Toni Söderholm got out of this team. The team played very interestingly with incredible passion and fighting spirit and that is very, very good for German ice hockey. Lots of young players who will definitely be great in the next few years. I think it was a sign that we have now caught up with the top nations in ice hockey. We really hope that we can go to the Olympics from North America, then it could be an interesting tournament."
To what extent do you sense a new, more self-confident appearance in German ice hockey?
"Yes, of course, because we don't have to hide from any nation anymore. There were a lot of young players there who we hadn't seen much of internationally before. Toni integrated them really well and they gained valuable experience with their first appearance for the national team. This will only make them stronger in the future. It was very nice to watch and I'm looking forward to being there again in the future, if possible."