With only a single year left on Frederik Andersen’s contract, what options do the Toronto Maple Leafs have?
Following yet another NHL playoff heartbreak in the play-in between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Columbus Blue Jackets, more and more is being taken into consideration regarding the near future of the young team including the soon expiring contract of starting goalie, Frederik Andersen.
Andersen had a handful of good seasons with the Anaheim Ducks from 2013-16 where he shared the job between the pipes with current Ducks’ netminder, John Gibson. Over parts of three seasons with Anaheim, Andersen maintained solid save percentages all above .914%, as well as a sub 2.38 GAA for a record of 77-26-12 in a total of 125 games with the club. (all stats NHL.com)
Andersen was acquired by the Leafs in a deal during the 2016 off-season. The deal saw the Leafs sending a first-round pick in the 2016 draft, (Sam Steel) and a second-round pick in the 2017 draft, (Maxime Comtois) in exchange for the 6-foot-4 goaltender.
Since the Dane has arrived in Toronto, he has still posted very respectable numbers in which over his first three seasons in the Six, Andersen maintained a sub GAA of 2.75 and a .917 SV% with a total record of 107-53-26 in 192 games.
However, this year was a struggle for the Toronto Maple Leafs and for their netminder. At times the Leafs struggled visually and analytically. Andersen posted career-lows in stats with a .909 SV% and a GAA of 2.85 in a COVID shortened season of 52 games for the goaltender.
Following the 2021 season, Andersen will be a UFA and will likely be looking for a raise from his current $5 million AAV. With the Leafs cap crunch in addition to the flat cap that will be maintained at $81.5 million for the next few years, it is an unlikely scenario that the Leafs will resign the 30-year-old netminder. Here are the four options the Leafs have for the future of their goaltending.