Maple Leafs Should Reunite Jack Campbell and Jonathan Quick

The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending issues could be solved by trading for Jonathan Quick.

Over the past month, the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending has been one of the worst in the NHL. Whether it’s Jack Campbell or Petr Mrazek in net, neither netminder seems comfortable as they allow a minimum of four goals almost every night.

As of right now, the Leafs have still been able to win games because they’ve been scoring their way out of trouble and stealing victories, but that can’t happen all year, especially in the playoffs.

If you get sub-par goaltending in the playoffs, you’re finished. You have zero chance to win the Stanley Cup, let alone a playoff round. The Toronto Maple Leafs got above-average goaltending last playoffs against the Montreal Canadiens and still couldn’t win because Jack Campbell wasn’t as good as Carey Price.

In the biggest moments, your goaltender is your most valuable player and they’re typically the reason why you either win or lose.

With the Leafs goaltending in shambles and Campbell now out for two weeks with a rib injury, the Leafs need to make a trade. Petr Mrazek looked like a beer-league goalie against one of the worst teams in the NHL on Thursday night, so they need to acquire another player fast, or these season could once again be lost.

The Toronto Maple Leafs Should Trade for Jonathan Quick

Currently making $5.8M AAV, Quick is a somewhat affordable option for the Leafs, but more importantly, his friendship with Campbell could spark a resurgence.

During the 2018-19 and 2019-20 season before getting traded to Toronto, Campbell’s stats were awesome as the back-up to Quick. Campbell looked like a legit starting goaltender and it’s one of the reasons why the Leafs traded for him.

As we’ve seen in multiple interviews, Campbell looks lost. He doesn’t look himself and he seems to be going through some hard times as his on-ice struggles are hurting him mentally.

Instead of battling it out Mrazek every practice, why not bring in a veteran player and one of his best friends in the game to help?

In an interview with TSN’s Mark Masters, Campbell spoke very highly of his relationship with Quick:

That guy means the world to me. I used to watch video of him in Dallas, just studying his game, and I went to Connecticut one summer to train just because he was out there. That was before I ever met him. Just the ultimate teammate, ultimate guy to look up to and we still are boys. We text each other a lot and I can’t say enough good things about Quickie. He’s a legend and it’d be pretty awesome to play him.” (via: tsn.ca)

The LA Kings are currently in a playoff position, but they have Cal Petersen in the wings as their future number-one goaltender. He’s having a great season this year and is currently signed to a long-term extension, which means Quick’s days as the starter are pretty much over.

If the Leafs were to trade for Quick, he’d more than likely get a lot of starts down the stretch and could be the starter when the playoffs start, but more importantly, he could help regain the confidence of Campbell.

The acquisition of Quick would solve a number of things. One, you’d get a veteran goaltender with multiple Stanley Cup rings. Two, you’d get a player under contract at a reasonable number. And three, by trading for him, it would spark the spirits of Campbell as he got to be with one of his best buddies in hockey every day.

Trading for Quick could do wonders for this hockey team and could be the boost that Campbell needs down the stretch.