A Look At the Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending Depth
As of right now, the Toronto Maple Leafs have six goaltenders signed to pro contracts.
Goaltending depth is a great thing to have but must be managed properly. In the past, the Toronto Maple Leafs have ran into trouble because they didn’t have any depth at the goalie position outside of Freddie Anderse, who has since moved to Carolina.
Last year, the Leafs were improved in this department, but still felt the need to spend a pick to bring in David Rittich at the deadline.
This year, should be much better for the Leafs in terms of depth at the goalie position, but the jury is still out on Jack Campbell as a consistent starter.
Most goaltenders rely on repetition and want to play as much as possible. When a team has the kind of goaltending depth that Toronto has, it can be hard to find adequate playing time for everyone.
To start the 2021-22 NHL season, the goaltending for the Toronto Maple Leafs is set. After that is where things start to get crowded. There will be four goaltenders battling for playing time with the Toronto Marlies.
This could result in at least one of the goaltenders starting the season with the Newfoundland Growlers of the ECHL. Here is a complete in-depth look at all six goaltenders within the Maple Leafs organization.
Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending Depth
Jack Campbell
Jack Campbell will be looking to solidify his role as the Toronto Maple Leafs number one goaltender. Last season, Campbell posted a 17-3-2 record in 22 games as the backup to Frederik Andersen. Campbell will have a much tougher season this year with a full 82 game schedule and being back in the tougher Atlantic Division. (Stats from hockey-reference.com)
This season, we will likely see Campbell play more than his career-high of 31 games in a season. If he does become Toronto’s number one goaltender, then he’ll probably play in close to 50 games this season. Hopefully, his playing time is managed well by Sheldon Keefe and the coaching staff.
Petr Mrazek
With Andersen leaving in free agency, Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas wanted to sign a goaltender that would compliment Campbell. That goaltender is Petr Mrazek who signed a three year deal with $3.8 million AAV.
Mrazek has spent the last three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes where he posted a 50-32-8 record in 90 starts. He will be battling with Campbell for playing time this season, but is used to working in a tandem setting as opposed to a starter/backup setup.
The Maple Leafs would be wise to split the starts as evenly as possible between Campbell and Mrazek unless one of them goes on a good winning run.
Michael Hutchinson
Michael Hutchinson is still hanging around within the Toronto Maple Leafs organization. He spent most of last season sitting idle on the teams taxi squad as their number three goaltender.
He did manage to play in eight games last season for the Maple Leafs and posted a 4-2-1 record with a 2.42 GAA and a .919 SV%. He also played in two games for the Toronto Marlies and won both games.
Hutchinson will either be the starting goaltender for the Toronto Marlies or he could get claimed off waivers when the Maple Leafs try to send him down to the AHL.
Joseph Woll
Joseph Woll was re-signed by the Toronto Maple Leafs this off-season for one year at $750,000 ($150,000 in AHL). He played better in his second season with the Marlies than he did in his first season, but not by much.
During his first season with the Marlies, Woll posted a 11-16-4 record in 32 games with a 3.75 GAA and a .880 SV%. In his second season, Woll posted a record of 7-7-0 in 15 games played with a slightly better 3.54 GAA and .892 SV%. (stats from eliteprospects.com)
Woll will be trying to solidify himself as the number one goaltender for the Marlies this season. If Hutchinson is claimed off waivers or traded by the Toronto Maple Leafs, it will make Woll’s goal a little easier.
Erik Kallgren
Erik Kallgren will be trying to earn a spot with the Toronto Marlies this season after signing a two-year deal with the Toronto Maple Leafs. If he can’t earn a spot on the AHL roster with the Marlies, he will likely try to win the starting goaltender job for the Newfoundland Growlers in the ECHL.
Kallgren spent last season playing for the Vaxjo Lakers in the SHL. He posted a 12-9 record with a 2.37 GAA and a .911 SV% in 21 games. He also posted a 7-3 record in 10 playoff games last season with a 1.74 GAA and a .930 SV%.
Ian Scott
Ian Scott is a long shot to make the Toronto Marlies, but depending on what happens with Hutchinson, Scott could challenge Kallgren for the Marlies’ backup goaltenders’ job. He would get more playing time in the ECHL with the Growlers than he would with the Marlies.
Scott played in just five ECHL games last season and posted a terrible 4.17 GAA and a .844 SV%. Those stats will need to improve if he is to become a regular at the AHL level.
Final Thoughts On Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending Depth
Depth at the goaltender position is a great thing to have. These guys will be pushing each other to be better every game. Each goaltender will know that there are guys below him in the organization waiting for their opportunity.
I can see a team with goaltending issues snatching Hutchinson off waivers, but if that doesn’t happen, here is how the depth chart will look.
Next. 2021 Defense, Goalie and Management Grades. dark
Toronto Maple Leafs: Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek
Toronto Marlies: Michael Hutchinson and Joseph Woll
Newfoundland Growlers: Erik Kallgren and Ian Scott