Michael Lee, G
Catches: L	Height: 6-1	Weight: 190
Born: 1990-10-05	Hometown: Roseau, MN	Drafted: 2006 by Phoenix Coyotes, 91st Overall

 

 

 

 

 

 

 Observations:

 

June 2015- The Coyotes have not offered Mike Lee a qualifying offer, making him a free agent on July 1st. Lee showed promise in 2012-13, but missed most of the following year with an hip injury then struggled last season returning from that ailment. His future in pro hockey never mind making the NHL at this point seems questionable. Keith Duggan

 

January 2015- With the trade of Devan Dubnyk to the Minnesota Wild, Mike Lee has been called up from Gwinnett of the ECHL to serve as Mike Smith's backup with the Coyotes. Lee missed most of last season after having hip surgery and has only appeared in five games so far this year, posting a record of 1-3-1 and a .897 save percentage, not exactly NHL numbers. This would seem to be a temporary move untill the Coyote's either make a trade or call-up a goalie from Portland of the AHL. If he does stay with the team for a while it would be extremly surprising to see him play. Keith Duggan

 

June 2014- After a progressive 2012-13 season, this past campaign was a forgettable one for Lee.  He only appeared in five games for Portland due to a hip injury that flared up during training camp. Lee tried to play through the pain before he was shut down for surgery, missing the rest of the season. If Mark Visentin ends up in Portland for another season, Lee will have to compete with Louis Domingue and Marek Langhamer just for the back up role in the AHL. After missing basically all of last season, it wouldn't be surprising to see him back in the ECHL, trying to play his way back up again. Keith Duggan

 

September 2013- On September 22^nd, the Coyotes assigned goaltender Mike Lee to Portland of the AHL. After making huge strides in 2012-2013, Lee was expected to be the backup to Mark Visentin, with Chad Johnson signing with the Bruins. While Visentin is considered the goalie of the future in Phoenix, he didn't exactly have a banner rookie season last year. If he struggles again and Lee once again continues to progress positively, it wouldn't be crazy to see Lee seize the majority of the starts in Portland and maybe even earn himself a call-up to the big club if injuries hit at one point. Keith Duggan

 

June 2013 – Lee is a former NCAA standout that has slid below the radar for several years and is on the edge of making noise. He was over shadowed by Jack Campbell when the US won the 2009-10 WJC after being the USHL goalie of the year, threw off a trio of excellent NCAA seasons for a marginal program at St. Cloud State, winning 32 games with a GAA of 2.65 and .917 SV% in 74 games. He turned pro this year starting in the ECHL winning half his 28 games while posting a strong 2.35 GAA and .911 SV, then when injuries and illnesses up the pipeline prompted recalls to the AHL, Lee showed strength with 9 wins while posting a .915 SV% even while having a rising GAA of 2.72. The numbers are very respectable especially when compared to the better known and higher profile: Mark Visentin, who’s GAA was 2.98 and .903 SV%, along with veteran Chad Johnson’s 3.00 GAA and SV% of .903.

 

The big question with Lee is can he handle larger workloads, the 44 games he played last year was the most he has played since appearing 48 times in the USHL five years ago. He is a sound goalie with few holes that challenges shooters well and contains pucks very strongly. He will need to add more meat to his frame to add more meat to his frame, and will need to continue to compete hard to pull starts and become a frontline AHL starter. Visentin is the better goalie to own currently in fantasy circles, but Lee has a better skillset and could ascend to become a better tender than Visentin. With all the questions surrounding Phoenix’s off ice and goaltending situations, put Lee on your radar and in deeper leagues he may be worth storing deeper on your farm with a late selection, even better if you are a Visentin owner as you should own the organization’s future in some capacity. Jason Banks

 

 

Fantasy Outlook: D-

His future in pro hockey at this moment seems like it might be over.

 

Footage:

Lee discussing his drive and focus to succeed while in the NCAA.

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Mike Lee Statistics

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