Possible Goalie Compromise

Me again. I had an idea for resolving some of the debate around goalie slots that I want to share for feedback. It's not perfect, and it doesn't address Ben's concern at all. I think it's worth hearing out that discussion before we try to ratify any ideas around goalies, but I hope Ben won't mind me stepping in with this idea a bit early.

THE IDEA!:

What about having a designated bench slot for goalies?  Every team would still only play one goalie per week, but would also have a second goalie bench slot that cannot be filled with a player. I prefer a system in which teams can ONLY hold two goalies and can only have a maximum of 21 skaters, (for a maximum of 23 players of any position).




PROS 

The idea has limitations, but it does a few things.  First, it makes us take more goalies (28 next year), thereby increasing scarcity considerably. That level of scarcity would grease a lot of wheels in the league, most prominently by emptying out the waiver wire. Without goalies available for pick up, the opportunity cost of keeping or drafting a goalie would go down and goalies would become more valuable in trades (I'm thinking of an injury scenario). At the same time, teams aren't forced to play their second goalie if they end up with Dubnyk or Salak.  They give up depth at the position (and risk injury and variation in # of games, since there won't be good goalies on waivers). Second, it doesn't upset the current balance of scoring, or privilege goalies in a new way (as we're still just playing one goalie). In fact, it doesn't even provide the opportunity to have 3 or more goalies, which is one of the ways a 14 team league runs out of goalies to play. Third, it mimics an NHL roster as we move to 23 slots with two goalies.  Fourth, through expansion of the league and our roster size, we will be taking many more skaters next year  (322 players instead of 268). This system would mandate that only 298 skaters are ever on a roster, rather than allowing that number to increase to as high as 310 (assuming we all held only one goalie).

CONS

Its limitations are still present: 1) it does nothing for the variability in wins that Ben has shown; 2) it mandates roster management in a league that is more used to manager freedom; 3) it still holds little incentive for having more than one high-end goalie (beyond depriving other teams).

VARIANT

We could consider a system in which there are two goalie spots (one starting, one bench) but teams could hold more than 2 goalies if they choose.  Still, for whatever reason, the tactic of holding onto players just to deprive other managers frustrates and annoys me.  I think that system would be open to abuse as only a few managers would have to collude to hold 4 good goalies to create deprivation for other managers. As the total number of skaters taken increases (and the bottom of our rosters are more marginal), there may be temptation to do just that. So again, I prefer a rule in which you must carry two goalies, but you only play one.


What do people think of that idea?