Peter Budaj. Image via NHL.com

During the summer of 2015, Peter Budaj was a free agent goalie who may have been considering retirement. At the very least, he could head back to Europe to try and save his career. He was given a pro tryout by the Los Angeles Kings, but was a long shot to make the roster. Just 18 months later, Budaj is one of the best comeback stories in the NHL.

Things started to fall into place quickly for Budaj. First, Martin Jones was traded to Boston as part of the Milan Lucic deal. Next, Jean-Francios Berube was claimed off of waivers by the New York Islanders. Finally, Patrik Bartosak was suspended for a domestic violence incident.

All of this still left Budaj third on the depth chart, behind the Kings’ top goalie Jonathan Quick and backup Jeff Zatkoff. Budaj spent the 2016 season as the starting goalie for the Ontario Reign, LA’s AHL affiliate. All he did there was lead the league with 42 wins, a 1.75 GAA, .932 SV%, and 9 shutouts. So, when Quick went down with a groin injury in October of this year, Budaj got an opportunity to join the Kings and begin his comeback.

Since taking over the starting job in Quick’s absence, Budaj has gone 26–17–3 and leads the league with 7 shutouts on the year. His .916 SV% and 2.15 GAA are on track for career bests. Budaj has been a hero in LA, and has given the Kings hope in the absence of their top goalie. To what can this turnaround be credited?

System, System, System

All goalies need a strong support system. In Budaj’s case, he has the benefit of a Norris Trophy winning defenseman in Drew Doughty, and a Selke Trophy winning forward in Anze Kopitar helping establish a strong defensive support. It runs much deeper than that, of course. Even though the Kings are starting a number of young defensemen this year, they have the lowest shots allowed per game in the NHL at 25.7. Head coach Darryl Sutter praises the young core for their hard work and mobility, and has reason to place his trust in them. When Budaj faces less shots per game than other goalies in the league, it takes an awful lot of pressure off of a guy who is having a bounce back year.

The Right Coaches

Aside from Sutter’s defensive structure that is credited with bringing Stanley Cup success to L.A., Budaj himself credits the goalie coaches he’s worked with for turning him around. Working with Dusty Imoo in St. John’s, but more so with Bill Ranford in Los Angeles, Budaj has been able to clean up some parts of his game to make him more effective. Specifically, Budaj has become more mobile and aggressive with his skating and no longer sits back waiting for the attack. No one would argue that Budaj is in the realm of Jonathan Quick, but being more aggressive and mobile has made him a much better goalie than he was before.

“I Never Want To Give Up”

Stories from coaches like Imoo and Ranford have shown how Budaj’s work ethic and dedication have been a huge part of this turnaround. Budaj realized how close he was to losing his NHL career, and committed to doing whatever was necessary to turn it around:

“I always wanted to play in the NHL ever since I was a little kid and I always believed it’s the best league,” Budaj said. “I never wanted to give up on that until you honestly look in the mirror and you say, ‘I don’t think I can play here anymore.” “I never want to give up on this because I know I can still do this and I know what I have in me.”

Budaj’s perspective changed after having a second child in 2015, and credits that, along with his faith for developing his great work ethic. Finding the right system and coaches to support him has allowed him to capitalize on this stage of his life.

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Heading into a free agency year, Budaj may be a hot commodity for a lot of teams looking to strengthen their goaltending depth. He has certainly made a strong case for getting paid more than the $600,000 he’s making this season. The expansion draft may also have some nice implications for him if the Kings choose not to re-sign him. At the very least, Budaj has put himself back on the map, and has made himself the front runner for the Masterton Trophy this year. Budaj’s feel-good story may be far from over.