The Toronto Maple Leafs Trade Deadline Goalie Troubles
The Toronto Maple Leafs did their best to sign a new goalie at the trade deadline, but some annoying shenanigans by the Arizona Coyotes prevented them from doing it.
The Toronto Maple Leafs made some moves heading into the NHL trade deadline.
General Manager Kyle Dubas upgraded both the offense and the defense. While it’s encouraging that the skaters have a new look, many are left scratching their heads about the Leafs greatest area of need not being addressed.
They tried to do it, but they got dunked on my the Arizona Coyotes.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Goalie Fiasco
The Leafs have been struggling mightily with their goaltending. Jack Campbell has been injured, Petr Mrazek was placed on waivers, and the team has recently recognized that Erik Källgren is not a savior. It’s why Dubas needed to bring a goalie into the fold.
The Maple Leafs signed Finnish goalie Harri Säteri.
Based on league rules, Säteri needed to pass through waivers in order to get to Toronto. While Mrazek went though waivers without being claimed, the same isn’t true about Säteri. He was picked up by the Arizona Coyotes.
It’s a very curious move considering the Yotes are the NHL’s 30th place team and since Säteri is only signed through the end of this season. What makes it even stranger of a transaction is that it happened on the same day that the Coyotes’ General Manager Bill Armstrong signed goaltender Karel Vejmelka to a three-year contract extension.
Why might Arizona need Säteri? They don’t.
Along with Vejmelka, the organization also has Josef Kořenář between the pipes, who the franchise traded for in July. Säteri may not even be given a chance to play for the Coyotes before his contract expires and he becomes a free agent.
Perhaps Armstrong signed Säteri just to block the Maple Leafs from acquiring him, which is a weird move since realistically the Leafs could be in a position to help Arizona one day. You have to think the Leafs, who have had a ton of players claimed on waivers, were pretty annoyed by this.
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It would have been nice for the Toronto Maple Leafs to add insurance in net, just as it would have been nice to have Mrazek claimed on waivers in order to save some money on the salary cap. Unfortunately, that isn’t what happened, though a window into Arizona’s thinking would be nice.