The Toronto Maple Leafs have struck fast on free-agent day.
Going into free-agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs were expected to target a goalie, and that is exactly what they did, signing the 28 year old Petr Mrazek from the Carolina Hurricanes.
In what turns out to be a bit of a trade, the Hurricanes have also reportedly signed Freddie Andersen.
The Leafs have given Mrazek a three year deal with a $3.8 million cap hit.
Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Petr Mrazek
When I originally heard this signing, I was a little skeptical because Mrazek doesn’t seem that good and the cap hit seems a bit high for a guy ranked 28th out of 33 in career save percentage among active goalies with at least 200 games played.
Based on what else was out there though (Halek is old, Raanta, Kuemper are injury prone) and the fact that it didn’t cost assets from the roster to acquire him, I can’t help thinking it’s an OK move, and possibly a good one because it has upside.
Only 28, Mrazek could still establish himself in the same way that Jack Campbell has. If he doesn’t, he should still be a serviceable back-up with starter potential.
In an ideal world, Jack Campbell is the starter, plays 55ish games and Mrazek is a decent backup, while their combined cap hit is roughly what they were paying Andersen last year. From that perspective, it’s hard to complain about this deal.
The Leafs didn’t need to get a star goalie, and they didn’t need to spend any assets to do it. The cap hit is kind of high for my tastes, but again, you’ve got to pay something if you want something. Other options come with more risk.
Petr Mrazek, signed 3x$3.8M by TOR, didn't play enough for a card this year, but he has a solid track record. He also saved 9.2 goals above expected in 12 games this season, which is probably not sustainable. #LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/VCky2noGpr
— JFresh (@JFreshHockey) July 28, 2021
What I like best here is that he’s near the top of the NHL in high-danger save percentage. Most NHL goalies , over a large enough sample size, will have about the same low-danger and medium danger save percentage. True talent can be measured in high-danger save percentage, and Mrazek looks good from this perspective.
If you think about the combined cap-hit, the risk vs reward and the fact that no assets were spent to get him, this is probably a decent move by the Toronto Maple Leafs. It might not have the high-impact of a John Tavares signing, but what does?
I don’ think there’s much risk here, and a pretty good reward possibility.