3 Exes the Toronto Maple Leafs Could Reunite With
Although the Toronto Maple Leafs keep racking up points in the North Division, they have a serious goaltending issue.
Heading into the season, the Toronto Maple Leafs felt like they had their goaltending in control. Pending UFA’s typically seem to perform at their highest degree, so many hoped we’d see the best season yet from Freddie Andersen.
In addition to Andersen, a full season of Jack Campbell was something many Leafs fans looked forward to. In the little action from last season, he performed great, so everyone was excited to see how’d he do as a legitimate back-up to Andersen.
With Andersen and Campbell locked up as the No. 1 and No. 2, the Leafs signed Michael Hutchinson and Aaron Dell for extra insurance, in case of emergency.
Unfortunately, Dell was claimed off waivers before he couldn’t even suit up for the Blue and White, while Hutchinson, who was supposed to be the No. 4 netminder, has played way more than hoped.
With an unknown timeline on Andersen’s return, and a nagging injury clearly bothering Campbell, Hutchinson may be in net way more than expected down the stretch. Sure, the Leafs traded for Veini Vehvilainen already for added help, but with zero NHL experience, you don’t want to relay on him for an important game.
If the Leafs are serious about winning a Stanley Cup, they need better goaltending. Hutchinson is a band-aid, who can stop the bleeding, but he isn’t a permanent fix.
Toronto needs to find another goalie if Campbell and Andersen are going to continue to miss games, or else they’ll be heading to a First Round exit, once again.
Here are three former Toronto Maple Leafs goalies who could return at the NHL Trade Deadline.
No. 3: Aaron Dell
When the Toronto Maple Leafs signed Aaron Dell in the offseason, they understood that he may get claimed before he even played a game, and that’s exactly what happened.
The New Jersey Devils stole Dell away from the Leafs and he’s played three games in the swamp this year.
Since the Devils are struggling and seem to have two healthy goalies in Scott Wedgewood and Mackenzie Blackwood right now, they may be interested in trading Dell for an asset, after acquiring him for nothing.
Dell wouldn’t be a full-time solution for the Leafs, but he’s a better player than Hutchinson and is someone who can help fill the void, while Campbell and Andersen nurse their injuries.
Although his stats have struggled over the past two years, on two terrible rosters, he’s only a few years removed from having two tremendous campaigns. During 2016-17, he posted a .931 SV% and 2.00 GAA and followed that up in 2017-18 with a .914 SV% and 2.64 GAA.
With a solid defensive-core in front of him, Dell can be effective and since the Leafs already wanted him to be part of the organization, they may be willing to trade an asset for him at this point.
No. 2: Jonathan Bernier
When the Toronto Maple Leafs originally acquired Jonathan Bernier from the LA Kings in June, 2013, it felt like everything was going to be OK.
Coming off one of the worst collapses in NHL History (up 4-1 in Game 7), the Leafs wanted to upgrade their goaltending. Bernier was a hot commodity, as he’d put up great stats as the back-up with the Kings, and seemed posed for a starting job.
Although Toronto went from the playoff picture to the NHL Lottery upon his arrival, Bernier wasn’t to blame. In fact, he gave the Toronto Maple Leafs some reliable goaltending. The team in front of him was just so bad, that Carey Price wouldn’t even have been able to get those teams to the playoffs.
If you compare his Leafs stats to Andersen’s, they’re essentially the same goalie:
- Freddie Andersen: 149-74-35 record, .914 SV%, 2.78 GAA (via: hockeyreference.com)
- Jonathan Bernier: 59-68-17 record, .915 SV%, 2.81 GAA (via: hockeyreference.com)
The fact that Bernier was able to put up the same stats as Andersen did, on a roster that was 10 times worse, speaks volumes to Bernier’s play. If Bernier was the No. 1 goalie instead of Andersen for the past five years, we could be talking about him as a top-10 or top-five goalie in the NHL.
Bernier gets chirped because he’s played on some terrible teams during his career, but his stats show that in the right situation, he should be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL.
Currently, sporting a .913 SV% and 2.76 GAA on one of the worst teams in the NHL, Bernier would be a great addition to the Leafs.
Bernier’s $3M cap-hit is high for a back-up, but if Detroit is willing to retain 50 percent, it’s much more manageable.
No. 1: James Reimer
Before you throw your computer or smartphone across the room, hear me out. Reimer may have caused you nightmares as a Leafs fan throughout the 2010s, but it wasn’t exactly his fault. Well, not every time.
The Carolina Hurricanes currently have three goalies that are NHL caliber. Petr Mrazek is currently out with a thumb injury, but when he returns, he’ll definitely kick either Reimer or Alex Nedeljkovic out of the back-up position.
Since Reimer is a pending UFA and the older goalie, he’ll most likely be the odd-man out. Instead of sending him to the Taxi-Squad or letting him get claimed on waivers for free, the Hurricanes may be inclined to move on from him, so they can get an asset in return.
With a $3.4M cap-hit, it’s a big contract for a back-up, but if the Leafs are desperate, they could make it work.
Although Reimer made a lot of fans upset, he’s still a solid NHL goalie and there aren’t too many other options out there. Similarly to Bernier, if Reimer was on a Leafs roster thats best defenseman wasn’t Dion Phaneuf, he could have taken this team far into the playoffs.
Reimer isn’t going to compete for the Vezina Trophy, but he’s going to keep you in games. In a limited playoff career, Reimer has a .925 SV % and 2.70 GAA. If Reimer replicated those stats on the Leafs, they’d win more than they lost and he’d be a much better addition than Hutchinson.
Next. 3 Veterans Leafs Should Trade For. dark
I know that a Reimer reunion scares Leafs fans, but desperate times, call for desperate measures. If Campbell and Andersen’s injuries continue to nag them, then they need to upgrade that position immediately.