Philipp Grubauer

Grubauer began his career in Germany, playing for the junior (U18) team of his hometown Starbulls Rosenheim beginning in 2006 at the age of 15. The following season, 2007–08, Grubauer played 23 games for the Starbulls U18 team, as well as five games with the senior club. Following the 2007–08 season, Grubauer moved to North America to play with the Belleville Bulls of the Ontario Hockey League (OHL) after being selected 25th overall in the 2008 CHL Import Draft.[1]

Grubauer with the Windsor Spitfires.

Grubauer served as the Bulls' back-up goaltender in the 2008–09, but became the team's starter in 2009–10. That season, he played in 31 games for the Bulls before being traded in January 2010 to the Windsor Spitfires in a seven-player deal.[2] The Spitfires won the Memorial Cup for the second consecutive year that May, and Grubauer led all goaltenders in the tournament with a .930 save percentage and a 2.14 goals against average (GAA).

On 26 June 2010, Grubauer was selected in the fourth round, 112th overall, by the Washington Capitals in the 2010 NHL Entry Draft.[3]

Just a few days after the NHL Draft, Grubauer, along with Windsor's first-round 2010 CHL Import Draft pick, was traded to the Kingston Frontenacs in exchange for Nick Czinder, A. J. Jarosz, Kingston's first-round pick in the 2010 CHL Import Draft and Kingston's second- and seventh-round (conditional) picks in the 2011 OHL Priority Draft.[4]

Grubauer signed a three-year, entry-level contract with the Capitals on 4 October 2010, as his season with the Frontenacs began.[5]

Grubauer played 38 games for the Frontenacs before falling ill with mononucleosis in February. He returned to Germany to recuperate and missed the rest of the season, his final age-eligible season in the OHL.[6]

Grubauer returned to the ice for the first time since his bout with mononucleosis at the Capitals' 2011–12 season development camp. He reported that he had lost 20 pounds while ill.[7] Following training camp in September, Grubauer was eventually assigned to the South Carolina Stingrays of the ECHL, a minor league affiliate of the Capitals.[8] Grubauer was recalled to the American Hockey League (AHL)'s Hershey Bears on 12 October 2011,[9] but did not play any games and returned to the Stingrays on 23 October.[10] On 8 November 2011, the ECHL announced that Grubauer had been named the Reebok Hockey ECHL Goaltender of the Week for the week of 31 October to 6 November. Grubauer was 3–0–0 with one shutout, a 1.00 GAA and a .960 save percentage during that span.[11] Grubauer was named the ECHL's Goaltender of the Month for November. In eight games with the Stingrays in November, he went 6–1–1 with one shutout, a 1.73 GAA and a .935 save percentage.[12] Grubauer was named ECHL Rookie of the Month in January and at the conclusion of the season, was named to the ECHL All-Rookie Team for 2011–12.[13]

Grubauer during his tenure with the Capitals in 2016.

In the 2012–13 season, the Washington Capitals' ECHL affiliation became the Reading Royals, and Grubauer split the season between Reading and Hershey, moving up to Hershey when the NHL ended their labour lockout and when goaltender Braden Holtby was promoted to Washington full-time for the 2012–13 season. Grubauer made his NHL debut in relief of Braden Holtby in a 4–1 loss to the Philadelphia Flyers on 27 February 2013, stopping all 14 shots faced in just over 25 minutes of play.[14] Grubauer then made his first NHL start on 9 March 2013, in a 5–2 loss to the New York Islanders. He faced 45 shots in the game, stopping 40.[15]

On 6 July 2017, the Capitals re-signed Grubauer to a one-year, $1.5 million contract.[16] During the 2017–18 season, Grubauer recorded a career-high 15 wins in 28 starts. Grubauer was the Capitals' starter to begin the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs after a strong (7–3–0) record in 10 of the final 16 games in the Capitals' regular season.[17] Grubauer made 23 saves in a 4–3 overtime loss in Game One against the Columbus Blue Jackets.[18] However, Holtby permanently took over the goaltending duties from Grubauer after replacing him during Game 2 of the series.[19] The Capitals ended up winning the Stanley Cup after defeating the Vegas Golden Knights in five games.[20]

On 22 June 2018, Grubauer, alongside Brooks Orpik was traded to the Colorado Avalanche in exchange for a 2018 2nd-round pick during the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.[21] The following day, the Avalanche re-signed Grubauer to a three-year, $10 million contract extension.[22]

He recorded an 18–9–5 record during the regular season, but a second-half surge led Grubauer to be named Colorado's starting goaltender for the 2019 Stanley Cup playoffs. He helped lead the Avalanche to a first-round upset over the first-place Calgary Flames, but lost in Round 2 to the San Jose Sharks in seven games. Grubauer recorded a 7–5 record with a 2.30 goals against average during the playoffs.

During the 2019 offseason, goaltender Semyon Varlamov signed a free-agent deal with the New York Islanders, cementing Grubauer's place as Colorado's starter.