Erik Källgren is NOT the savior of the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs were struggling to stop the the onslaught of goals pouring into their net when they called on Erik Källgren to be their dam.

Starting his first ever NHL game, (He had previously only played in a single game on Mar. 10 in relief of  Petr Mrazek.) he did just that, registering a shutout for the Toronto Maple Leafs and then immediately coming back for a second game and earning a win while allowing just two goals.

With Mrazek struggling and Jack Campbell injured, Källgren appears to be just what the Maple Leafs need. Even though the Maple Leafs have an unfortunate history poor goaltending decisions and it seems this has been a good one, their fans shouldn’t rejoice so quickly.

In two contests with the Buds, Källgren has put together a .978 save percentage and a 0.66 goals against average. As eye popping as those numbers may be, it’s certainly not sustainable. There is a reason why the 25-year-old rookie backstop hasn’t played in an NHL game sooner. It’s because he wasn’t very good. In fact, the best numbers he’s ever had have been at the NHL level.

Toronto Maple Leafs and Erik Kallgren

Most of the hockey Källgren has played has been in Sweden. He worked his way up from junior to the pros. Last season, while playing for Växjö Lakers HC in the SHL, Källgren recorded a 2.37 goals against average and a  .911 save percentage in 21 games.

This season with the Toronto Marlies, the Leafs AHL farm team, Källgren has played in 26 games where he’s posted a goals against average of 3.02. In other words, he has allowed north of three pucks per game to touch twine behind him. It’s the 79th best average in the AHL. Since there are a total of 138 goaltenders who have been trusted with a crease this season, it puts Källgren in the bottom half of the league. Källgren’s .904 save percentage is a little better. It’s the 59th best in the league, which is still quite unimpressive.

It would be an unfathomable amount of trust put on Källgren from the Toronto Maple Leafs front office, if they believed that he is their long term go-to backup. Källgren has already defied the odds and played in the NHL. He even had some incredible moments while there.

However, it’s unrealistic to believe that he has found a way to elevate his game for the first time in his career in a fashion that can be sustained. The evidence suggests that he’s on a hot streak and like every flame, it will die out. Most likely, that will happen sooner than the Maple Leafs would like. Now that Källgren has played a pair of games at the highest level, other clubs will spend more time dissecting his strengths and weaknesses. Tape will be studied and holes will be exposed.

It’s fun to cheer for the underdog but it’s important to be realistic. This has been a magical time in this goaltender’s life. It’s one that he will never forget and it’s something no one could ever take away from him. Källgren has been great and every

Toronto Maple Leafs fan, including myself, hopes that that will continue but it’s a good idea to temper the lofty expectations. Enjoy the ride while you can.

Källgren has been confirmed to make his third NHL start on Saturday against the Nashville Predators. He is expected to stand opposite Juuse Saros.