The Toronto Maple Leafs could be a trade match for goaltender Marc Andre-Fleury, according to Frank Seravalli.
Since the calendar turned to 2022, the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending has been awful. As a result, the idea of trading for another goaltender has became very real over the past few weeks.
Jack Campbell is not the netminder he was at the beginning of the season and it’s kind of unfair to expect him to be. Campbell was never going to be a top-five goaltender for an entire season, but he also shouldn’t be a bottom-five goaltender either.
He’s not as bad as he really is right now and he was never as good as his stats indicated at the beginning of the season.
Toronto’s other goaltender, Petr Mrazek, hasn’t been much better, which had led to huge concerns in net.
The Toronto Maple Leafs were hoping that Mrazek and Campbell would battle it out all season and the best goalie at the end of the year would ultimately start Game One of the playoffs, but that’s starting to become an issue.
This is one of the best offensive teams in Leafs history, so it would be a shame to see their goaltending let them down when they have a legitimate chance at competing for a Stanley Cup, so making a big trade to upgrade their goaltending may be a smart decision.
Toronto Maple Leafs Linked to Marc Andre-Fleury?
The last time the Leafs were a legitimate contender was the early 2000s and they always had great goaltending. Whether it was Curtis Joseph or Ed Beflour, you could trust either netminder to steal a game (or two) in the playoffs.
Belfour was 37-years-old when he joined the Leafs, which is the same age that Marc Andre-Fleury is. Not only that, but both goaltenders are former Stanley Cup and Vezina Trophy winners.
As shown by the tweet below, there’s a world where Fleury joins the Leafs.
According to @frank_seravalli - TOR & CHI could be a trade match for Fleury. Could have a 3rd team in the deal to offset more of Fleury's deal with CHI retaining 50% (3.5M). TOR could send Mrazek to CHI in a trade, plus top prospect(s) & top-end pick(s)#Blackhawks #LeafsForever
— Mario Tirabassi (@Mario_Tirabassi) March 7, 2022
If Chicago were to retain 50 percent of his contract and Toronto ships Mrazek out, they would essentially be acquiring Fleury for the same price as Mrazek. Not only that, but if Jake Muzzin stays on long-term injured reserve until the end of the year, the Leafs would still be able to use his $5.65M to upgrade their defense or forward position as well.
If you’re Kyle Dubas, you need to do whatever it takes to make your team better for right now. You never know what’s going to happen next year, but at this current moment, the Leafs look like a legitimate contender.
All they need is a goaltender who can steer the ship, so the only question you need to ask yourself is this:
“Would you rather have Jack Campbell/Petr Mrazek or Marc Andre-Fleury in net for Game 7 of the Stanley Cup Finals?”
The only correct answer is Fleury.
He’s played on five teams that went to the Stanley Cup Finals and is a three-time champion. He also has 162 career playoff starts which is more regular season starts than Campbell and he’s the reigning Vezina Trophy winner.
Fleury gives Toronto the best opportunity to go on a deep Stanley Cup run, so even if they have to give up Mrazek, draft picks and prospects, they should make the trade and watch the flower blossom.