Toronto Maple Leafs Roundtable: Goalies the Leafs Should Trade For
The Toronto Maple Leafs need to trade for a backup goaltender.
That much is obvious after the Toronto Maple Leafs only earned 1 point from their backup goaltender, Micheal Hutchinson.
Since joining Toronto, the workload carried by Frederik Andersen has always been tremendous. With recent results at they are, this exceeds the mere physical burden it has been so far, it’s becoming a mental burden as well.
Stepping on the ice knowing it’s on him to win games, that’s a heavy burden to carry.
Evidently, the back-up situation has become urgent. The Toronto Maple Leafs can’t afford to see a playoff position get out of sight due to their back-up goaltending situation. They simply have a too good of a roster this season to be able to justify missing the playoffs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs and their trade targets.
When confronted with the goaltending situation, Toronto Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas told the media the following;
“What I would really like more than anything is for us to put together a good game in front of Michael. We need to give him an opportunity.” – Kyle Dubas
And there’s a point to that, the Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t been their best with Hutchinson on the ice. Then again, it’s not to be expected that a team playing the second half of a back-to-back to be at their best.
Here at Editor In Leaf, the goaltending situation has been a hot topic down the stretch of this season. Which lead to this weeks roundtable question; “Which backup goaltender should Toronto trade for?”
Let’s find out.
My Take
Ideally, the Toronto Maple Leafs get back Curtis McElhinney. He’s been arguably the best back-up goaltender they’ve had for the past decades. Unfortunately, divisional rival Tampa Bay has him signed.
Letting him go to make room for Sparks and Kaskisuo, who both had stellar seasons with the Marlies, is probably the biggest mistake by Kyle Dubas after the Marner contract.
Considering what’s available, the Toronto Maple Leafs best option is sticking with Hutchinson, only because I don’t feel a better option is available (for a reasonable price). Hutchinson was brought in last season and played a decent game for Toronto then. He’s been good in the past and he’s too young (29) to already be regressing that much.
Based on his track record in the past, it’s worth waiting until the actual trade deadline to see how his game will develop under Sheldon Keefe. It will be interesting to see whether Keefe plays Hutchinson more often in the first games of a back-to-back, it could really help him to get his, clearly broken, confidence back.
Should there be a decent goalie available by the time the trade deadline nears for a reasonable price, Dubas should aggressively pursue it. Hutchinson has cleared waivers already this season, giving Toronto untill the summer to evaluate their situation without giving up on Hutchinson.
Alex Hobson
It’s no secret that the Leafs’ biggest need right now is a backup goalie. Michael Hutchinson has served as backup all year and hasn’t won a single game, carrying a record of 0-5-1 with a GAA of 4.55 and a save percentage of .876.
With this being known, there are several backups around the league the Leafs should be checking in on. And if it were up to me, I’d pursue Alexandar Georgiev.
The current New York Rangers goalie is splitting starts with Henrik Lundqvist and is having an impressive season thus far, sporting a record of 8-5-1 with a GAA of 2.67 and a save percentage of .926.
So why would the Rangers want to get rid of Georgiev? Well, they have somebody in their system who they’d like to get a look at in the big leagues. Igor Shestyorkin, a fourth-round pick of the Rangers in 2014, was one of the KHL’s best goalies for the past three years and he’s been just as impressive in the AHL this year. Running with a record of 9-3-3 with a save percentage of .930 and a GAA of 1.98, it’s no secret that the Rangers want to get a look at him in the NHL.
The Leafs have enough offensive depth to make up six NHL lines, and they should consider using it to acquire Georgiev.
Mark van der Lugt
It’s clear to see that neither of the backups the Toronto Maple Leafs have used are the answers. Luckily, there are several options that could become available for the Leafs.
My top choices for a new back-up goalie are Keith Kinkaid, Alex Stalock;
Keith Kinkaid (30, 6’3, 180); He’s a big goalie, Kinkaid has proven experience in the NHL, managing to help guide the New Jersey Devils to a playoff spot in 2017-18. Kinkaid has put up back to back seasons where he’s played 41 games, which would help Andersen a lot. Kinkaid is currently in the Montreal Canadiens system, holding a $1.75 cap hit for just this season. He is cheap and reliable and would be a realistic target.
Alex Stalock (32, 6’0, 200); Now, he has been with the Leafs before, which probably lowers his chances of coming back here. The last time Stalock was here, it was during the horrendous 2015-16 season. At the time, Stalock had just become a father, Toronto was already tanking and didn’t have a major need for him either. Stalock is a reliable and steady goalie for the Minnesota Wild, a team that was struggling heavily with Devan Dubnyk until Stalock stepped in this season. Stalock has an 8-3-2 record with a 2.70 GAA and a .910 save percentage.
Stalock is probably more realistic than Kinkaid, as Stalock has a 785K cap hit. Minnesota doesn’t look to be a strong contender for a playoff spot this year, meaning Stalock could be a trade deadline acquisition.
Nick Barden
Right now, there is no goaltender that the Toronto Maple Leafs should trade for.
I think the best option is to try Michael Hutchinson once more, which Sheldon Keefe is doing. The team hasn’t played well in front of him, not even once. Plus, there isn’t even a goalie out there that the Leafs could afford unless they give up assets.
That’s not what the Leafs want to do at all. I still believe Hutchinson is a reliable NHL backup and the team is starting to get on their feet. Once that happens, Hutchinson could get his first win this season.
What happens if he doesn’t get another win in his next start? Well then you wait, see what’s available and access your options. I think Kyle Dubas has been doing that all season long, but he hasn’t found any of the right fits yet. Too much money on the cap, or not the right goalie for the team.
Whether they get a new goalie or not depends on Hutchinson’s next start. If he’s good, they wait and see if he’s good for another game. And if he’s not, well then the Leafs have to find a new and better option in net.
D.J. Llewellyn
It’s a rather obvious choice. I think the Leafs should trade for Tristan Jarry of the Pittsburgh Penguins.
The Pens are doing fine with Murray and DeSmith in net, which helps make Jarry a player they can afford to lose. Why Jarry? He’s a still young goaltender (24) and has a sparkling .936 save percentage and 2.02 GAA through 10 games this season. Which for a back-up goaltender his age is pretty impressive.
While these numbers are much better than what he’s put up in years’ past, his age means that there is another gear for him to potentially reach. Goalies are voodoo, but if Jarry maintains a high level of play throughout the year, this becomes an excellent pick up for the Leafs.
He would easily push Andersen and be a very reliable option to back Anders up, so Freddy can actually get some more rest. Obviously something he needs if Toronto wants to have deep playoff run.
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Did I mention he only cost 675,000 on the cap this year? Jarry is the perfect player to take a gamble on– not to mention an obvious upgrade over Hutchinson by default.