There is a new unrestricted free-agent that the Toronto Maple Leafs should pursue.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have made good use of the college system, signing free agents like Tyler Bozak, and more recently, Alexander Steeves.
As NHL teams begin to sign collegiate free agents, a noticeable gap in the signings is Minnesota State Mavericks’ goaltender Dryden McKay. At 23 years old, he is well past eligibility for the NHL Entry Draft and is definitely on the shorter side, standing at 5’11”. However, his size has not prohibited him from setting, tying, and passing numerous NCAA records.
Most of McKay’s records revolve around shutouts! During a game against the Northern Michigan Wildcats on February 8, McKay set a new Minnesota State record for most career shutouts with 12, which surpassed the previous record held by Cole Huggins. Later that month, he became the second all-time shutout record holder in all NCAA DI men’s hockey history.
Beyond his records, his numbers are also jawdropping. He holds a career .802 win percentage and .933 save percentage at Minnesota State. Just listing all of his collegiate accomplishments would take up half this article. In just his senior year, McKay earned: AHCA West Second Team All-American, All-WCHA First Team, WCHA Goaltender of the Year, and was a Hobey Baker Award finalist.
I am very curious as to why McKay has continued to remain a collegiate free agent in spite of his accomplishments. Of course, most is speculation, but it does raise some eyebrows he is an undrafted free agent with his amazing statistics.
Why McKay would be a good fit for the Toronto Maple Leafs
Although the Toronto Maple Leafs are riding the Jack Campbell high, for now, we are starting to have less belief in Freddie and Michael Hutchinson. As teams nosedive younger, it may be time to invest in some new goaltenders.
The Toronto Maple Leafs are also well known for having an amazing development program and have aided in the development of some of the Leafs’ current stars like Morgan Rielly, William Nylander, and Zach Hyman. Heck, Kasimir Kaskisuo (now with the Preds) was signed as a collegiate free agent by the Leafs.
Most goaltenders do not jump straight from juniors/collegiate right into the NHL. For example, Stanley Cup winner Jordan Binnington spent six seasons in the AHL. However, the Leafs (at least right now) do not need a goaltender immediately. If the Leafs leave Freddie unprotected in the Seattle Expansion Draft it may be fitting to have a young goaltender the Leafs can develop into their new starter.
For those reasons, along with his great numbers and high potential, the Leafs should take a chance and sign McKay.