Pro Tips: Depth Decisions with Devan Dubnyk
Key Takeaways
- Sean Burke's depth rule focuses on timing, not position: be set on your feet before the pass arrives, wherever in the crease that requires.
- Dubnyk credits this single guideline as a major factor in his transformation from AHL callup to Vezina Trophy finalist in 2014-15.
- Play further out when the puck is higher in the zone — more distance from the net means more time to push laterally and get set.
- As the play gets closer to the net, adjust by moving deeper so you can still beat the pass and be stopped before the shot.
- This rule is self-monitoring and position-agnostic, making it a practical tool for goalies at every level.
Devan Dubnyk didn’t even spend one full season with the Arizona Coyotes, but the big goalie learned an important lesson on depth management while he was there.
It came from then-Coyotes goaltending coach Sean Burke, was a huge part of a breakout season that ended as a Vezina Trophy finalist, and became a rule of thumb for the rest of Dubnyk’s career. It’s also a great guideline for goalies of all ages and skill levels, in part because it’s so simple and easy to self monitor when it comes to managing depth.
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