The Toronto Maple Leafs are better off sticking with Bernier for one more season. They must use the expansion draft as a tool to poach a new franchise goaltender.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in the midst of a rebuild and are positioned well to draft a high end forward prospect early in round one in this June’s entry level draft.
What they are not positioned to do is find a franchise goaltender. It takes many years until a drafted goalie is ready to see full time action in the NHL. While they could draft someone in June that turns into their future netminder, they will still be without a quality goalie for this next season, at least.
Sure, they have draft picks to trade and prospects to dangle for a Frederik Andersen but at 26 and with a .918 sv% for his career is he really the guy that we need?
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Don’t forget that Andersen is on a very good Anaheim team. His numbers aren’t likely to get any better on a poorer Leafs team. Also, don’t we already have a guy like this? At 27 years old and a .915sv%, Jonathan Bernier is already locked up for another season and we don’t have to give up draft picks or prospects for him.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are not yet ready for a number one netminder.
Don’t get me wrong, if we can lock up a true franchise goalie tomorrow I would jump all over it. But the fact is, we do not have this option right now.
I think we need to either stick with Bernier or add Reimer back into the mix by signing him to a one or two year contract. The expansion draft next year is sure to open up a few goalies for poaching. Why would we trade away draft picks for a guy we probably wouldn’t be thrilled at protecting anyways at seasons end. Why would we give up draft picks for a guy when we already have his equivalent?
Why would we give up draft picks for a guy when we can sign Reimer for free?
Maybe it is just me, but I don’t think Frederik Andersen is a franchise goaltender and should not be the future netminder of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Therefore we should NOT trade away draft picks/prospects for a guy that we won’t even want on our team when we become competitive. That is just throwing away assets. Wasteful spending.
Now, maybe Reimer gets a four year contract and the starting job in Calgary. To that I would say good for him. We still have a free version of Andersen in Bernier.
Lets keep our goaltender position open for another year and prior to the expansion draft, lets see who is made available and trade for them. Matt Murray? Mackenzie Blackwood? Tristan Jarry? Who knows what will happen between now and then. What I do know is prior to next years expansion draft, when teams can only protect one goalie, there will be no better time to have an open roster spot for a goaltender, cap space, and drafts/prospects to trade for a goalie.
Next: Toronto Maple Leafs GM Lamoriello Making Calculated Moves
Unless the Toronto Maple Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello can pull off a similar move as he did in New Jersey (9th overall pick for Cory Schneider) it makes no sense to squander away assets for something that isn’t anything more than a stop-gap goalie.