It is no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs are in the midst of a goaltending dilemma.
Jack Campbell could be lost in free agency, and Petr Mrazek’s most likely not going to be back. So who will the Toronto Maple Leafs starter be next season?
Will general manager Kyle Dubas try his hand at finding a goaltender in free agency, or will he trade for one? Dubas will be exploring all his options this month before the NHL draft and free agency period in July.
There are numerous free-agent options, but most of them will not be cheap. There could be a few available that will fit the Toronto Maple Leafs’ budget, but not many. Several goaltenders on the free-agent market are also nearing the end of their careers, so age plays a factor.
If the free agency route doesn’t work out, Dubas can explore the trade route instead. Several teams have goaltenders in their prime looking for a new place to play as their team begins a rebuild. First, Dubas will need to find a way to trade away the $3.8 million contract of Petr Mrazek.
(stats from hockeyreference.com and Salary Cap info from capfriendly.com)
It is possible that Dubas could include Mrazek in any trade made for a different goaltender, but that all depends on if the other team has any interest in him. It will not be an easy contract to move, but Dubas needs to find a way to make it happen.
Here is a look at some of the possible free agent goaltenders that Dubas and the Toronto Maple Leafs could look at this off-season.