Toronto Maple Leafs: Looking Into Every Option with Freddie Andersen

Acquire a Starter Via Trade

If Toronto does decide it is time to part ways with Andersen, there could be some viable trade candidates available come August.

The most attractive name who could be available hails from the desert, in the form of Arizona Coyotes goaltender Darcy Kuemper.

It is no secret the Coyotes are one of several teams struggling from the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Cost-cutting measures were put into place this past offseason with the team making captain Oliver Ekman-Larsson available due to him still having over $50 million left on his eight-year deal. Kuemper, similarly, is owed $5.5 million in 2021-22.

Since the 2017-18 season, Kuemper has registered the seventh-most wins above replacement of any goaltender in the NHL, the third-most goals saved above average and the fourth-most goals saved above expected (stats; evolving-hockey).

His raw numbers in that time, among goalies to start at least 25 games:

Games Started: 119

GAA: 2.36 (4th)

SVP: .923 (2nd)

If Dubas decides Kuemper’s $4.5 million cap hit is a little too rich and he needs more spare dollars to allocate towards Hyman and eventually Rielly, the Leafs could look to acquire a new starter in a similar fashion to how they got Andersen – trade for a current backup with high upside who is blocked on their teams’ depth chart.

A name that fits that mold and is quite interesting to me is Elvis Merzlikins. Yes, he is unproven (only 36 career NHL starts) but he has shown significant promise thus far, including last year in teh playoffs, which Leafs fans most likely remember well.

In 31 starts last season, the Latvian netminder finished with a 2.35 GAA and a .923 SVP. He finished tied for 13th with Carter Hart in WAR. This season, so far, in five starts, Merzlikins has a 2.76 GAA and a .913 SVP, looking to continue building off his breakout season a year ago.