Toronto Maple Leafs: Comparing Freddie Andersen and Petr Mrazek
This summer the Toronto Maple Leafs said goodbye to longtime starting goalie Frederik Andersen.
It’s official. There’s a new goalie in town who is expected to share duties with Jack Campbell. On the opening day of free agency, the Toronto Maple Leafs lost their longtime netminder Freddie Andersen and signed Petr Mrazek to take his place.
Even though both goalies switched teams through free-agency, the Leafs and Hurricanes sort of bizarrely ended up trading goalies
Let’s break down everything we know of both the outgoing and incoming goaltenders. That way Leafs fans will know what to expect from their new stopper.
Backgrounds
Andersen was a pioneer in the NHL. He was the league’s first-ever goaltender to come from Denmark. He hails from Herning, a city in Central Denmark that, according to Statistics Denmark, has a population of 50,531 (Jan 2021).
Andersen comes by his goaltending skills honestly. His father, Ernst, played goal in the Metal Ligaen, the top tier of Danish hockey. He played for the Herning Blue Fox. While his father played the same position professionally, the rest of Andersen’s family took to hockey as well but as blueliners.
Andersen’s brother, Sebastian, also played for the Blue Fox. Instead of in the crease, he plays in front of it. Their sister, Amalie, is also a defenseman. She has played professionally in both Demark and in the Swedish Women’s Hockey League. Currently, she competes for the University of Maine in the NCAA. Andersen’s mother, Charlotte, even played defense for Herning in the women’s league.
Mrazek doesn’t come from a well-decorated hockey family. The 29-year-old was born on Valentine’s Day 1992 in Ostrava, Czechoslovakia. He developed his hockey acumen through the Czech system. He represented the country internationally and played in Czechoslovakia until he transferred to North America to compete in Major Junior hockey.
Mrazek joined the Ottawa 67s in the OHL and played a pair of seasons for them before he was selected in the fifth round of the 2010 NHL Entry Draft. In his first year as a pro, he split time between the ECHL, AHL, and NHL. It wasn’t until Mrazek’s fourth year that he became a full-time NHL goaltender.
Style of Play
Both Andersen and Mrazek play very different styles. Maple Leafs fans have seen Andersen work on his netminding approach throughout his years in Toronto. He plays a butterfly style where he remains calm and cool between the pipes.
Andersen’s trouble is that he has identifiable weaknesses. Two seasons ago, Andersen allowed 26 goals to pass through his 5-hole. It was the most in the NHL. He then spent time working to close that open door. In doing so, he spent more time on his pads, which then exposed a new problem, his high-blocker. Teams were able to scout this leak, and before his injury last season, shots were intentionally directed high-blocker-side.
Mrazek has been very different with his approach to the position. He is less cool and more aggressive. That’s because Mrazek relies on his athleticism to keep pucks out of the goal. He is able to extend his leg out, as needed for low shots, to help seal the bottom of his net. He will read the pass well and adjust his position. Goaltenders of all levels do this but Mrazek has demonstrated over the years that he can get from post to post with explosive speed. Pay close attention during games because the manner in which he extends his leg while moving horizontally is wildly impressive.
Mrazek also loves to come out of his net to play the puck. That should help Toronto’s defenders but it does come with some risk. Prepare yourself now for some anxious moments.
Injuries
Both Andersen and Mrazek have spent time on the injured reserve (IR). It’s one of the hazards of playing a premium position in the NHL.
Fans likely recall Andersen as being injury prone, which actually isn’t the case. That’s more of a recency bias. Andersen’s first stint on the IR with the Maple Leafs didn’t happen until January of 2019. It was a short time away, being activated after only 11 days.
Last season, however, wasn’t as smooth sailing. Andersen went down early in the season with a lower-body injury. A few months later, a knee injury forced him to be on the long term injured reserve (LTIR). While it appeared as though Andersen was preparing to make his return in May, a setback sent him back on the LTIR. Unfortunately, Andersen’s time with the Toronto Maple Leafs ended with him sitting on the bench after losing his starting position due to injury.
In February, Mrazek needed to have surgery on his right thumb. At the time, he was leading all NHL goaltenders in goals-against average and save percentage. The good news for Leafs fans is that while Mrazek was out for two months to repair his thumb, he came back.
Mrazek played a single game in the AHL for the Chicago Wolves as a conditioning stint before being declared healthy enough to rejoin the NHL. He even played in a pair of playoff games. He won his first one while giving up two goals but got shelled in the second, allowing six shots get by him.
Personal Relationships
Since playing his last game as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Andersen has become a part of the pop star Justin Bieber’s entourage. It may not be what many expected but ask yourself, how well did you know Andersen’s taste in friends?
The personal relationships of both Andersen and Mrazek are actually incredibly similar in that both have had partners who are athletes, just in different sports. Andersen reportedly dated Hilary Knight since 2014. She is one of the best female hockey players on the planet. She has won gold and silver at the Olympics and an astounding eight World Championship golds.
Though it wasn’t announced publicly, it is believed that Knight and Andersen have broken up. Perhaps the clearest evidence is that Knight retweeted a Montreal Canadiens post of Cole Caufield beating Jack Campbell in an overtime win over the Leafs.
Mrazek’s relationship, on the other hand, is still going strong. His partner is Sara Olivova who due to injury was forced to retire from playing beach volleyball for Czechoslovakia. She represented her country for both World and European tours.
Olivova is a holistic nutritionist and health coach. According to Olivova’s website, she now consults for her clients on using Metabolic Balance and individualizes nutrition plans to help them become healthier. Her goal is to help women feel their best in their bodies and improve their health, confidence, and overall happiness.
Perhaps the best news of Mrazek signing is that Toronto doesn’t only get a top goaltender but they also receive Olivova who is bringing her business with her to the Big Smoke.
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Andersen was a fan favourite in his time in Toronto and will no doubt go on to have great success with the Hurricanes. The Mrazek era begins now for the Maple Leafs. The team’s newest goaltender will do his part to elevate his club to new heights, especially in the playoffs.