No. 3: David Rittich, Calgary Flames
If the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves worried about their goaltending situation, they could make a call to the Flames to acquire “Big Save Dave.”
Calgary has their No. 1 goaltender set with Jacob Markstrom, so while Rittich is a pending UFA, the Flames could be inclined to move on from him for an asset, especially if the Flames continue to fall out of the playoff picture.
The 28-year-old has started 128 NHL games and has shown that he can be a reliable goalie. He’s best suited as a back-up or in a 1A/1B role, but would be an upgrade over Michael Hutchinson.
Trading for a goaltender mid-season is incredibly hard to do, so Rittich could be the Leafs best option, especially if the quarantine rules still apply at the NHL Trade Deadline.
Rittich’s $2.75M cap-hit also seems like a do-able number for the Leafs to take on. Obviously, everyone hopes that Toronto can rely on their current No. 1 and No. 2 goaltenders to hold down the fort throughout the playoffs, but if things go sideways, Rittich could be a good insurance piece for the Leafs.