I was going through the archives of Jets Nation over the weekend, and I came across the first mention of Eric Comrie on this site, dating back 11 years to when he was drafted by the Winnipeg Jets 59th overall in 2013. There are a couple of interesting early thoughts on the young goaltender. I want to cover those takes from Kevin McCartney and also praise the goalie who returned for a fourth stint with the Winnipeg Jets.

Comrie, 29, is probably not going to play the 212 games that Dan Ellis played over his 12-year career, but 100 career games is a number that the Jets’ backup goaltender could easily reach. He didn’t quite meet the expectations set by the good comparisons, but reaching 60 NHL games is still a decent milestone, and something he should be proud of.

Three goaltenders were picked before Comrie: Philippe Desrosiers, Tristan Jarry, and Zachary Fucale. Desrosiers played four NHL games for the Washington Capitals, and Jarry took over the starting job in Pittsburgh over the last few seasons, playing 260 games and earning a Stanley Cup ring (though not his name on the cup).

Only two notable goalies were picked after Comrie: Cal Petersen (129th) and Juuse Saros (99th). Petersen has played 106 games, splitting time with both the LA Kings and the Philadelphia Flyers. Saros has been with the Nashville Predators since he was drafted. He has appeared in 359 games for Nashville, with a goals-against average below 3 and a save percentage above .900 in every season he’s played.

I would say that, for that year, the Jets drafted the fourth-best goalie, and if things go well, he could end up being the third-best goalie from the 2013 draft. Drafting him in the second round may not seem ideal, but if you swap the Jets’ fourth-round pick, Andrew Copp, for Comrie, it’s not a bad draft.

Comrie has played 60 NHL career games. I’m sure the Jets scouts are a little disappointed we haven’t seen more from him, but if you consider the road he’s traveled, you’d be pretty impressed. Things were going smoothly for him until 2019 when he signed his first UFA contract.

Since signing that contract with the Jets in September 2019, Comrie has played for seven different teams in both the AHL and NHL, appearing in only 86 professional games over the last five years.

That’s not a lot of hockey for a guy who has earned over $6 million in his career. But through just three games this season, I think we are seeing the best version of Comrie in his career. He looks more comfortable, playing under goalie coach Wade Flaherty and with the current greatest goalie in the world, Connor Hellebuyck. We’ve only seen three starts from Comrie this season, but I feel all three were quality games, even if the stats against the Calgary Flames say otherwise.

Craig Button had this to say about Comrie at the 2013 draft:

“Eric has the qualities of a workhorse goaltender. He reads plays very well and gets himself into position to close off chances. He moves well and doesn’t compromise his positioning in doing so. Very good lateral quickness and agility. Very competitive and never gives up on a play.”

This is the version of Comrie we are seeing in Winnipeg. The guy has had a lot of challenges but has dug in to be an NHL-caliber backup. He doesn’t get the regular reps that most others get, yet he has remained a constant in the NHL. It’s a long way to the top if you want to rock and roll.

With Hellebuyck playing for Team USA at the Four Nations Cup in February and during the postseason for the Jets, we are likely going to see between 25-30 games from Comrie this season. Given how the Jets have defended, I’m not worried about him playing for the Jets.

In 2022, I remember being bummed out that Comrie left Winnipeg to play in Buffalo. I had a video on TikTok from July 12th, 2022, the day before free agency opened, where I was commenting about how I hoped to see him re-sign with the Jets. He was starting to look like a bright spot on a team that had a lot of darkness.

Thank you for reading my ramblings about Eric Comrie. I hope, like Laurent Brossoit, he also finds a starter’s job in the NHL and has his name on the Stanley Cup.