4 Options For the Toronto Maple Leafs and Frederik Andersen
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.
TORONTO, ON- APRIL 16 – Brendan Shanahan and Kyle Dubas chat was they watch the Toronto Maple Leaf. (Steve Russell/Toronto Star via Getty Images)
Option 1: Resign
The first option for the Leafs and Freddie Andersen is to re-sign him. This, however, would be risky due to Andersen’s age and likely contract demands.
The 2019-2020 season will hopefully be a one-off for Andersen after posting career-lows. Looking to improve upon numbers in the regular season, during the NHL Playoff Play-in, Andersen proved that it was just that, a one-off. Andersen posted spectacular numbers with a sub 1.84 GAA and a .936 SV%. before falling to the Blue Jackets in the best-of-5 series.
The Leafs do have time to decide whether or not to pull some more cap shenanigans and resign the elite goaltender, but unless Andersen and his agent decide to go down a path that would see a form of hometown discount it is likely that the former 87th-overall pick of the 2012 entry draft would be seeking a sizable raise.
After seeing contracts of the likes of Sergei Bobrovsky (7-year, $70 million), and Andrei Vasilecskiy (8-year, $76 million) among others, Andersen can certainly look to the open market for a vastly greater amount than the Leafs will be able to sign him for.
As it stands right now, Kyle Dubas and the Leafs are projected to have $16.4 million in cap space to work with for the 2021 offseason while still having to look forward to giving contracts to Travis Dermott, a plethora of bottom-6 forwards, as well as a future Morgan Rielly extension after the 2021-2022 season.
Realistically it is unlikely (without a hometown discount) that the Leafs will have the cap space required to sign an elite goaltender the likes of Frederik Andersen.
Option 2: Prospect Goaltenders
The Leafs could trade Anderson and use the cap savings elsewhere, while handing over the crease to one of their top prospects.
The Toronto Maple Leafs drafting over the past few years has been A-level. After finding gems like Rasmus Sandin, and Nick Robertson, the Leafs have also been able to find a couple of future goalie options. Those options being 21-year-old Ian Scott, as well as 22-year-old Joseph Woll.
Both names should be well known around Leaf Land as both have had great young careers. Scott had a great 2018-19 campaign after posting a .932 SV% and a record of 38-8-3 before leading the Prince Albert Raiders to a WHL Championship, being named the 2019 WHL Playoff MVP, 2018-19 CHL and WHL goaltender of the year, as well as representing Canada at the 2019 World Junior Championship. That’s a pretty good resume for an (at the time) 20-year-old. (Stats hockeydb.com).
However, prior to the start of the 2019-20 season, it was decided that Scott would undergo surgery to correct some misalignment in his hips and it was announced by the team that he would be out the entire 2019-20 season. It is with high hopes that the Calgary, AB native will be ready to start the 2020-21 season and continue his success in the game, starting with the Marlies.
Now the other prospect option of Joseph Woll is a different story. Woll, drafted in 2016, 62nd-overall played the entirety of the 2019-20 season with the Leafs AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies. Following the promotion of Head Coach Sheldon Keefe to the NHL club, the Marlies struggled, as did Woll. The Dardenne Prairie, MO native appeared in 32 games with the club and posted sub-par numbers with a 3.75 GAA, and a .880 SV% with a record of 11-16-3.
Woll stands tall at a sturdy 6-foot-4 203 lbs frame, which in addition to the full season of AHL experience, does provide much potential for the young netminder. His resume may not be as impressive as Scott, but it is sure that he has the know-how over him after playing an entire season of professional hockey.
Both goaltenders provide solid options for the Leafs going forward but only time will tell if either of the two will take control of the opportunity presented to them.
Option 3: Trades
The last option for most teams when they fail to find a goaltender through other means is just to up and trade for one. The Leafs already being pretty knowledgeable on this option after acquiring Andersen back in 2016.
There is a number of goaltenders that may be on the market over the next few years. Those of the likes of the Penguins as well as the New York Rangers and their goaltenders have had rumours swirling around for quite some time now.
The Penguins do not want to lose another goaltender to an expansion draft as they did with Fleury back in 2017, so Jim Rutherford and the Penguins will more than likely explore moving one of their goaltenders; those being 26-year-old Matt Murray as well as 25-year-old Tristan Jarry. Both on the right side of 30, have now been NHL proven. Murray with two Stanley Cup rings, and Jarry with an NHL season with a SV% just north of .920%.
The penguins will certainly explore trading one of the two and with Matt Murray being the favourite to go, it is an option for the Leafs to also explore. At the expense of a couple picks and some of their key offensive chips, the Leafs may be able to pick up Murray or Jarry for a reasonable price.
This was the original thought when it was rumoured early Tuesday morning that Toronto and Pittsburgh were in talks for a Kasperi Kapanen trade, but that trade saw the main piece being sent back being a first-round pick. However never close a door fully; the Leafs can still pursue this option.
The Rangers on the other hand also have a number of goalies to deal with. Since veteran goaltender, Henrik Lundqvist will likely be retiring after this season or the next, the Rangers will have to make a decision to go with one of two 24-year-olds. Those being Alexander Georgiev, and Igor Shesterkin. Both goalies had respectable numbers this season with Georgiev posting a .910 SV% and then Shesterkin posting a spectacular .932% (though only with a small sample size of 12 games).
Shesterkin seems to be the obvious choice for New York to go with but stranger things have happened. The only thing that is almost for certain is that the Rangers will not keep both around as a starting tandem.
Now the interesting part is where the Leafs may be able to come into things. The Leafs have Jack Campbell signed until 2022 and if the Rangers are looking to unload one of their starters for a proven backup and other pieces, the Leafs may just be their moneymaker in a trade with Campbell and other pieces.
The Carolina Hurricanes are one team that reportedly already has had a high level of interest in the former Jennings Trophy winner (via Elliotte Freedman – 31 Thoughts). Andersen was originally selected by the Hurricanes in the 2010 draft.
Andersen elected not to sign with the club and then re-enter the draft. He was then selected by the Ducks in the third round of 2012. The Toronto Maple Leafs are not too keen to trade him away right now unless it is with the intention of getting an upgrade in net. This would mean a look at the upcoming free agent netminders this offseason, like Braden Holtby, and Jacob Markstrom just to name a few. Take a look at the free-agent options for the Leafs in the next portion.
Option 4: Free Agency
Free agency can be so amazing. Money flying all over the place and players ending up at the end of the day across the country. However, it may not be an option the Leafs will want to pursue. As mentioned earlier, goalies on the open market can go for exceedingly high amounts and they may not even be worth it, as seen by the Bobrovsky contract.
In order for Toronto to pull off something in free agency for an elite goaltender, they would have to pull money out of thin air and do some master advertising to entice a goalie to come to the Six. It is not an impossible task but it is something that is very unlikely for the Leafs to pursue.
If it is something Toronto wishes to pursue, this off-season the likes Corey Crawford, Braden Holtby, Jacob Markstrom, and Mike Smith among others will be available. The following year it will be the veterans Tuukka Rask, Jordan Binnington, Jake Allen, and Anti Raanta who will label the goaltending UFA market. These will all be plausible options for the Leafs if they wish to fork the money over.
The Leafs have a number of options ahead of them and it will be up to Dubas and Co. as to what they decide to do. The likely option? Either pursue a trade or see how the two goaltending prospects progress.
Next. 5 Reasons for Optimism with the Leafs. dark
Due to the cap crunch and the dwindling surplus of cap space to use, it is a very unlikely case that the Leafs will have the Cap space to accommodate either Andersen or any goalies on the open market. Nevertheless, it will be interesting to see what conspires in LeafLand.