It’s no secret that the Toronto Maple Leafs have a goaltending issue.
Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov were both signed to be a tandem for the Toronto Maple Leafs this season, but now that Murray is hurt, it’s all on Samsonov’s shoulders.
As much as we never like to predict injuries or hope for players to falter, Murray getting hurt was one of the biggest locks of the season. Nobody expected it to happen during morning-skate of his second game, but here we are.
Murray is currently on long-term injured reserve and should be back in a month or so, but what if he’s not? What if his body can’t take the wear-and-tear of an 82-game NHL season anymore? It’s definitely possible because health has been a huge concern for the 28-year-old.
Samsonov looks good during the early part of the campaign, but he’s never played more than 44 games in a season. If he’s looked upon to play 50-60 games, he may run out of gas by the start of the playoffs, where you’ll need him the most.
A healthy (and good) Murray is vitally important to the success of the Leafs season, but if he’s unable to play at a high-level when (or if) he returns, then the Leafs should look elsewhere for a goaltender.
Trading for a goaltender is never easy, but it’s possible as some other teams look to tank and rebuild.
As such, here are three goaltenders the Toronto Maple Leafs could trade for this year: