Checking in on the defensemen and goalies for the Cleveland Monsters

The goaltending has limited the Monsters' success so far

Unfortunately, despite having a solid group of young defenders, the goalies simply have not been up to par for Cleveland this year, putting up a .884 team save percentage. This subpar performance is largely due to some unexpected struggles by a recent Blue Jackets acquisition.

Ivan Fedotov

Acquired from the Philadelphia Flyers for a sixth-round draft pick just a week before the beginning of preseason, Ivan Fedotov was seen as a high-upside player at a low price. However, the 6'7 Russian goaltender hasn't performed well so far in Cleveland.

After recording a .880 save percentage with a 3.15 goals against average in 26 games with the Flyers last year, Fedotov's stats haven't been much better in the AHL so far, as an underwhelming .886 save percentage and 2.87 goals against average definitely don't stand out.

Despite his size and solid athleticism, Fedotov's fundamentals just aren't strong enough to stay consistent throughout an entire game, often allowing goals on relatively low-danger scoring chances. However, earlier this season, Fedotov was able to combine his size with some good quick-reaction saves, going 5/5 in a shootout in Toronto.

With this underwhelming performance in the minors, it doesn't feel like Fedotov moves the needle enough to warrant a contract extension from Columbus, although their other option in Cleveland hasn't been any better so far.

Zach Sawchenko

Playing in his second season in Cleveland after signing with the Blue Jackets, Zach Sawchenko hasn't been able to continue his solid play after backing up Jet Greaves, who of course is now more or less the starter in Columbus.

After posting a respectable save percentage of .900 last season, it has now dipped to .880, although his goals against average has stayed the same, which signifies that the defense is generally allowing fewer total shots but perhaps similar overall scoring danger from opponents.

With the 6'1" Canadian's contract also expiring after this season, the two Monsters goalies may be battling it out for a future with the organization in the second half of the season.

With that being said, the Monsters may get some support from Blue Jackets prospects next season, with Russian goalie Sergei Ivanov and Canadian goalie Evan Gardner both being solid options next year, with Ivanov especially looking like a future star if he makes the journey over from Russia.

This concludes our analysis of the Cleveland Monsters a little over halfway through their season. If a few key players continue their solid trajectory and even a slight increase in production from even one of the goalies, this team could easily make another deep run in the Calder Cup Playoffs this year.