Toronto Maple Leafs: Pressing Needs to Become a Great Team
The Toronto Maple Leafs trade rumours and free agent opportunities for a backup goaltender.
The Toronto Maple Leafs had a great 2016-17 season. They went from a last place, 69 point finish the year before, to the playoffs. Now it’s time to take the next step.
The question on every Leafs fan’s mind; how does the team do that? It’s nice to make the Playoffs, but now the real test is in trying to become a perennial contender. With the young core the Leafs have been fortunate enough to draft, nothing less than becoming a multiple Cup winning, yearly threat like the Blackhawks or Penguins will be acceptable. The NHL has found parity during the salary cap era, but when you’re gifted Matthews, Nylander, Marner in successive drafts, the expectation is that you’ll do a bit more than just make the playoffs.
Two Areas in Need of Improvement.
- A quality back-up goaltender
- Acquire a top four RHD for the blue line
While acquiring a defenceman is complicated, finding a good backup seems easy. Scoring goals is no longer an issue for the Leafs. For the team to go from good to elite, they must prevent more goals.
| Team | AvAge | GP | W | L | OL | PTS | PTS% | GF | GA | SRS | SOS | TG/G | PP | PPO | PP% | PPA | PPOA | PK% | SH | SHA | S | S% | SA | SV% | PDO |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maple Leafs | 26.2 | 82 | 40 | 27 | 15 | 95 | .579 | 250 | 234 | 0.11 | 0.00 | 6.01 | 57 | 244 | 23.36 | 44 | 251 | 82.47 | 6 | 7 | 2617 | 9.6 | 2666 | .915 | 100.8 |
| League Average | 28.0 | 82 | 41 | 31 | 10 | 92 | .559 | 227 | 227 | 0.00 | 0.00 | 5.53 | 47 | 245 | 19.10 | 47 | 245 | 80.90 | 6 | 6 | 2478 | 9.0 | 2468 | .913 |
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/20/2017.
From the beginning of the 2014-15 season through the end of this past year, the team has gone through drastic personnel changes. Only seven players who dressed for a minimum of one game remain from the 2014-15 disaster are around and Josh Leivo suited up for only nine games that season.
| Season | Lg | Team | GP | W | L | T | OL | PTS | PTS% | SRS | SOS | Finish | Playoffs | Coaches |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016-17 | NHL | Maple Leafs | 82 | 40 | 27 | 15 | 95 | .579 | 0.11 | 0.00 | 3rd | Lost NHL First Round | M. Babcock (40-27-15) | |
| 2015-16 | NHL | Maple Leafs | 82 | 29 | 42 | 11 | 69 | .421 | -0.56 | 0.03 | 8th | M. Babcock (29-42-11) | ||
| 2014-15 | NHL | Maple Leafs | 82 | 30 | 44 | 8 | 68 | .415 | -0.61 | 0.02 | 7th | R. Carlyle (21-16-3), P. Horachek (9-28-5) |
Provided by Hockey-Reference.com: View Original Table
Generated 6/20/2017.
Toronto Maple Leafs had a Hole in the Line-Up, the Opposition Fired Pucks Through it.
Jonas Enroth
The Leafs started the season with Jonas Enroth as their backup goalie. Enroth started six games before being shown the door. As a result of his play, he cost the team psychologically as well as precious points in the standings. As a young, fragile team, the Leafs need a backup who is better than 0-6 with a 3.94 SVS and 0.872 GAA. Had Enroth been average and gone 3-3, the Leafs would have finished the season with 101 points while finishing second in the Atlantic. Let’s not waste time thinking about a better first round matchup and where it may have led.
Antoine Bibeau
Antoine Bibeau played well in his two starts. His athleticism is off the charts and in every game, he makes lightning quick saves that leave observers wondering, how? Unfortunately, his attention seems to wander and he often allows goals on stoppable pucks. Antoine Bibeau has the skills to become an NHL goalie, but does he have the mental makeup? His inconsistency concerns the Maple Leafs organization.
Bibeau, of the QMJHL Champion Val-d’Or Foreurs was named Outstanding Goaltender of the 2014 MasterCard Memorial Cup. mastercardmemorialcup.com
Furthermore, Bibeau struggled with the Marlies during the 2016-17 campaign. His save percentage ballooned nearly 40 points to 3.08 while his save percentage of 0.894, was his worst in three seasons. With an injury to Garrett Sparks and the division up for grabs, Sheldon Keefe started Kasimir Kaskisuo, he of two career AHL games ahead of Bibeau.
Is Big Mac the Answer or Just Another Hamburger?
Curtis McElhinney
After running his starter into the ground, the Leafs claimed Curtis McElhinney off the waiver wire January 10, 2017. Andersen had started 31 of the first 39 games of the season,
Toronto claims Curtis McElhinney on waivers from Columbus
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) January 10, 2017
McElhinney will get a look after posting a 2-1-2 record along with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .924 save percentage as a member of the Blue Jackets this season. rotoworld.com
McElhinney provided what Enroth could not. In almost every one of his 14 games, he gave the Leafs a chance to win. McElhinney went 6-7 with a 2.85 GAA and a .914 SVS. Since Big Mac helped the Leafs to their first postseason birth in an 82 game season since 2003-04, will the Leafs resign him? Talking with fans, many feel McElhinney will solve the Leafs backup problem next season. I am not so sure.
Toronto Maple Leafs First Priority, A Top Backup Goalie
Because the Leafs backups won only seven of the 19 games they started, that 7-11-1 record costs them dearly in the standings. As a result of the Penguins Marc-Andre Fleury playing brilliantly when needed and the Caps Philipp Grubauer reliable in every start, the Capitals and Penguins finished well ahead of the Leafs.
Fleury filled in for injured starter Matt Murray posting an 18-10-7 record, banking 42 of a possible 70 points. (.600 winning %) Grubauer helped rest iron man Braydon Holtby for 21 starts. Going 13-6-2 in his backup role he banked 28 of a possible 42 points (.700 winning %). Furthermore, that is the quality goaltending the Leafs need to take the next step. A good team to an elite team. 10 to 20 points. 5 to 10 extra wins.
Seven points will come based on luck. The Leafs will not lose 15 overtime and shootout games next season. The new backup needs to win 5 more games than they lose.
Brian Elliot is the Man for the Toronto Maple Leafs
The Calgary Flames had goaltending questions throughout the 2015-16 season. Their solution was to trade for half of St. Louis Blues longtime goalie tandem. As a result of that trade, a season worth forgetting for Brian Elliot and the Flames. Because Elliot was a bust as a starter, he needs an opportunity to put his career back on track. The Toronto Maple Leafs need a goalie who can start 30 games next season. In addition, that is a light workload compared to Elliot’s history. If a short-term injury befalls Frederick Andersen, Brian Elliot is capable of going on a consecutive game run.
It seems a perfect scenario for both parties.
Brian Elliott will be a free agent July 1, 2017. It is doubtful that the Flames have an interest in retaining him. With the trade for Mike Smith from Arizona, Elliot is the odd man out. Is it possible the LVGK select him? Anything is possible.
With his pedigree, Brian Elliot is my first choice as the Toronto Maple Leafs backup for the 2017-18 season.
What would you do?
all stats: hockey-reference.com, hockeydb.com, rotoworld.com