Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending Conundrum Going Forward

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray took part in his first full practice the other day. The first since suffering an adductor injury on October 15th. He got through the session without complications, a positive sign that he might return to the lineup soon.

When the Toronto Maple Leafs placed Murray on long-term injured reserve (LTIR), they gave a rough timeline of four weeks until Murray could return. This weekend will mark four weeks since Murray went on LTIR. It is unlikely that Murray will play this weekend, but the good news is that he is close to returning.

Unfortunately, Murray is not the only Toronto goaltender injured right now. Ilya Samsonov is currently on injured reserve (IR). Samsonov injured his knee during the game against the Boston Bruins on November 5th. The team estimated he would be out longer than a week. He is skating on his own before team practice, which is a good sign.

With Murray and Samsonov hurt, Erik Kallgren has been holding the fort. The goaltending situation in Toronto is not ideal, but the team is weathering the storm. One thing on many people’s minds is, even if Samsonov and Murray return healthy, will Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas search for another goaltender?

Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending Options

Frank Seravalli from Daily Faceoff believes the Toronto Maple Leafs will search the goaltending market. He lists five goaltenders that could give the Maple Leafs more stability. I will take a look at the three most likely options.

Joonas Korpisalo – Columbus Blue Jackets

Joonas Korpisalo is in the last year of his contract with a salary cap hit of $1.3 million. He had off-season surgery and has only appeared in one game this season. It would be wise for Dubas to wait until Korpisalo plays more games before thinking about acquiring him.
(Salary cap info from capfriendly.com)

James Reimer – San Jose Sharks

James Reimer has a record of 2-5-2 through nine games this season. Although his season has gotten off to a slow start, his .910 SV% and 2.88 GAA show he is not playing poorly. He is in the final year of his contract, which carries a salary cap hit of $2.25 million. I think the majority of Leafs Nation has moved on from Reimer, but never say never.
(Stats from hockey-reference.com)

Anton Khudobin – Dallas Stars

Anton Khudobin is a casualty of the salary cap. Due to cap constraints, the Dallas Stars have buried Khudobin and his $2.2 million cap hit in the AHL.

The 35-year-old veteran could be easy to acquire if the Toronto Maple Leafs find themselves in desperate need again. He has a record of 3-2-3 with a .907 SV% and a 2.87 GAA for the Texas Stars in the AHL.