As the NHL prepares for a new season scheduled to start in mid-January, the Tribune-Review will offer Penguins A to Z, a player-by-player look at all 48 individuals under NHL contract with the organization, from mid-level prospect Niclas Almari to high-profile trade acquisition Jason Zucker.
Maxime Lagace
Position: Goaltender
Catches: Left
Age: 27
Height: 6-foot-2
Weight: 190 pounds
2019-20 AHL statistics: 33 games, 22-7-3 record, 2.37 goals-against average, .919 save percentage, five shutouts
Contract: One-year, two-way contract with a salary cap hit of $700,000. Pending unrestricted free agent in 2022.
Acquired: Unrestricted free agent signing, Oct. 10, 2020
Last season: Maxime Lagace is no stranger to being the third goaltender in an NHL’s hierarchy. Much of his professional existence has come with that designation, or even lower.
In 2017-18, Lagace was pressed into service with the expansion Vegas Golden Knights when that organization’s top three goaltenders — Marc-Andre Fleury, Malcolm Subban and Oskar Dansk — went down with injury.
Lagace performed admirably during that stretch, appearing in 14 games and going 6-7-1 with a 3.92 goals-against average and an .867 save percentage before those ahead of him on the depth chart recovered and returned to net.
Since then, Lagace primarily has bounced around the American Hockey League ranks with the Chicago Wolves and Providence Bruins.
In 2019-20, Lagace was part of a fantastic platoon with Dan Vladar for the Bruins, who were the top team in the Eastern Conference before the AHL season was halted in mid-March because of the coronavirus pandemic.
Lagace’s 22 wins were a career high for him at any professional level, and his five shutouts, also a career-best, were the second-best total in the AHL last season.
When the NHL resumed play in August for a postseason tournament, Lagace was included on the Boston Bruins’ expanded roster but did not play in any games.
The future: Lagace has already received a promotion of sorts without even playing a game for the Penguins.
With the NHL making all teams carry a minimum of three goaltenders for the 2020-21 season, Lagace will inhabit that role for the Penguins behind starter Tristan Jarry and backup Casey DeSmith and, barring anything unforeseen, will not be assigned to Wilkes-Barre/Scranton when the AHL opens play Feb. 5, as scheduled.
A veteran with some size, Lagace is a technically proficient goaltender. While he won’t make anyone forget some of the Penguins’ better No. 3 goaltenders of the past such as Wendell Young, Ty Conklin or Jeff Zatkoff, he’s a reliable and steady option for that role.
Ideally, Lagace doesn’t play a game, as that will mean Jarry and DeSmith weathered the 2020-21 campaign unscathed by injury or pestilence. He may, on occasion, be asked to dress as the backup, given the condensed schedule.
In the event Jarry and DeSmith are not available this upcoming season for any reason, Lagace is a safe option to turn to, albeit on a limited basis. Should Jarry or DeSmith be absent long-term, management likely would look for a trade to, at the very least, supplement Lagace.
The real challenge for Lagace next season will be to maintain his game with so few actual games to play.
