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Top 5 What-Ifs in Toronto Maple Leafs Team History

By Stephen Nixon

TORONTO, ON - MAY 17: Wayne Gretzky #99 of the Los Angeles Kings skates by Doug Gilmour #93 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during NHL semi final series playoff game action on May 17, 1993 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images)
TORONTO, ON - MAY 17: Wayne Gretzky #99 of the Los Angeles Kings skates by Doug Gilmour #93 of the Toronto Maple Leafs during NHL semi final series playoff game action on May 17, 1993 at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto, Ontario Canada. (Photo by Graig Abel/Getty Images) /
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BOSTON, MA – APRIL 11: Toronto Maple Leafs right wing Mitchell Marner . (Photo by Fred Kfoury III/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

#5. What if the Leafs never traded Tuukka Rask?

In 2005, the Leafs used their first round draft pick on a goaltender named Tuukka Rask from Finland.

Unfortunately the Toronto Maple Leafs didn’t know the old hockey homage in 2006: “When in doubt, stick with a finnish goalie.”

So what if the Toronto Maple Leafs kept Rask instead of trading for Andrew Raycroft?

It took until the 2009-10 season for Rask to become a steady back-up goaltender in the NHL, and Boston had the luxury of having Tim Thomas in front of him to learn. Rask slowly transitioned into the league as a starter and eventually became a Vezina Trophy goaltender but it took nine years after his draft year to do so.

As much as we could have hoped that Rask would have had the same results in Toronto, the Leafs unfortunately did not have another quality goaltender that he could have been groomed behind.

If Rask was a Leafs goaltender, it’s possible that he could have been called up too early and not developed the same way he did in Boston, so as much as this what-if angers Leaf fans daily, Rask most likely wouldn’t have been the goalie he is today.

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