Top Five Goalies That the Toronto Maple Leafs Could Trade For
5. Corey Crawford
Now in his 14th season in the NHL, Corey Crawford has been around the block. Crawford has won three Stanley Cups in his career, all with the Chicago Blackhawks.
The Blackhawks sit 11th in the Western conference and will likely miss the playoffs for a third straight year. This could make them motivated sellers at the trade deadline.
Crawford’s .914 SV% over the past three seasons is above average and his playoff experience and leadership will be coveted by teams looking for help at the goaltending position.
Crawford’s cap hit is hefty at $6M, expiring at the end of this season, which means that Cody Ceci’s $4.5M would likely have to be exchanged in a potential trade with the Blackhawks. The Blackhawks would likely need to retain a portion of Crawford’s contract to keep the Leafs under the cap as well.
While the Leafs will certainly be tempted to acquire Crawford’s experience for a playoff run, they would be wise to assess the value that the 35-year-old Crawford provides going forward, rather than the value he has produced in the past.
4. Craig Anderson
In 21 games this season, Craig Anderson has posted an .897 SV% for the rebuilding Ottawa Senators, who have assumed their expected position as cellar dwellers in the East.
Anderson has recently been usurped as the starting goaltender in Ottawa by younger alternative Marcus Hogberg, prompting some reports that Craig Anderson’s time in Ottawa is running out.
On a more competitive team, Anderson will likely see an uptick in his statistics, which makes him an excellent “buy-low” candidate. Anderson’s cap hit of $4.75M this season would need to be taken into consideration in a potential trade and Ottawa would likely need to retain a portion of his salary.
Anderson brings a plethora of playoff experience to the table, having posted a stellar .929 SV% and 2.35 GAA in 46 playoff games in his career. For a Leafs team that is looking for stability in net for the playoffs, this may be the most enticing aspect of Anderson’s resume.
He has also started over 50 games/year since 2015-16, suggesting that he would have no issues relieving the heavy workload that Frederik Andersen has historically faced with the Leafs.
3. Casey De Smith
Casey De Smith is the unfortunate victim of a goalie conundrum in Pittsbubrgh. The Penguins currently have three NHL-calibre goalies in Matt Murray, Tristan Jarry and Casey De Smith.
Murray has two Stanley cups under his belt in his five-year career and Jarry currently ranks second in the NHL in GAA, SV% and shutouts. Understandably, De Smith has been ousted to the AHL despite posting a .917 career SV% in 50 NHL games over the past three seasons.
De Smith is another “buy-low” candidate, as he has not played in the NHL this season, which reduces his trade value. Penguins general manager Jim Rutherford has also been clear that the Penguins are willing to listen to trade offers for De Smith.
De Smith’s contract holds a cap hit of $1.25M through 2021-22, which represents a possible long-term solution to the Leafs goaltending situation. The cautionary tale in all of this is that De Smith surprisingly cleared waivers at the beginning of the season.
Not jumping at the chance to claim De Smith for free was a mistake that the Leafs may have to pay a premium for at this point in the season.
2. Ryan Miller
At 39 years old, Ryan Miller of the Anaheim Ducks is the oldest active goaltender in the NHL. This season, Miller’s SV% has dipped to .899, although his .917 SV% over his last three seasons serves as a more accurate indicator of his play since backup goaltending statistics are especially subject to small sample sizes.
That .917 SV% is even more impressive considering that over the past three years Miller’s expected save percentage (xSV%) based on the quality of shots he has faced is only .904, as the Ducks’ defense has struggled mightily.
Miller is likely the strongest “buy-low” candidate on this list as his numbers this year suppress his trade value, while his body of work suggests that he can be a well above average goaltender.
The Ducks are tied for last place in the Western conference and 14 points out a playoff spot, which has designated them as sellers earlier than many other teams.
Miller’s contract carries a cap hit of $1.1M and expires after this season, which could make this Miller’s last chance at winning the Stanley Cup.
1. Alexandar Georgiev
Alexandar Georgiev has an opportunity to be a special goaltender in the NHL. The 23-year-old has posted a career .914 SV% in 64 games with the New York Rangers over the past three seasons. His statistics have undoubtedly been suppressed by a struggling Rangers team.
In fact, Georgiev has faced the highest shot quality in the NHL since his rookie season. In his young career, the difference between his xSV% and his actual SV% ranks third in the entire NHL, just behind John Gibson.
Georgiev appears to be the most likely victim of the three-headed goalie problem in New York, with Henrik Lundqvist and highly valued prospect, Igor Shestyorkin being the most likely suitors to stay with the club long-term.
The team that manages to pry Georgiev from the Rangers may look back at the trade as the biggest steal of the trade deadline, much the same way that the Leafs look back at their trade for Frederik Andersen in 2016 when he was the odd man out with the Anaheim Ducks.
Georgiev holds a cap hit under $800K and is a restricted free agent at the end of this season. He is the strongest long-term backup solution available to the Toronto Maple Leafs and would give the Leafs significant leverage in contract negotiations with Frederik Andersen after next season.
dark. Next. Leafs Top 10 Prospects
Georgiev’s blend of skill, youth, obtainability and cap control solidifies him as the top goaltending trade target for the Toronto Maple Leafs.