3 Veteran UFA Goalies Toronto Maple Leafs Could Sign
3 Veteran UFA Goalies Toronto Maple Leafs Could Sign
No. 1: Brian Elliott
According to Larry Brooks of the New York Post, the Leafs already have interest in Brian Elliott, which makes sense.
For the past 15 years, Elliott has been a serviceable back-up goalie, making his way through six organizations.
Even at 38-years-old, the Newmarket, ON native could be a good fit in Toronto as the third-goaltender or potential back-up.
If the Leafs did go ahead with Samsonov and Woll as their No. 1 and No. 2, Elliott could serve as a mentor to both of them, as they’re only 26 and 25-years-old, respectfully.
Samsonov has been in the NHL for a few seasons now but it can never hurt to learn from someone who’s so experienced.
Another reason why Elliott could make sense with the Leafs is because he could be motivated to finish his career for his hometown team.
As mentioned, he’s from Newmarket, which is less than an hour from Scotiabank Arena, so it could be a great homecoming for the veteran.
Even if he was only called upon a few times this year, you could get the best out of him for those few starts as he’d love to play well in front of friends and family.
No. 2: Jaroslav Halak
Halak has had a fantastic career and was one of the best stories of the 2003 NHL Entry Draft, as he was originally selected 271st overall.
For the first half of his career, he served as a solid starter, winning the William M. Jennings Award on two occasions, but for the past six years, he’s primarily been a back-up.
After starting his career with the Montreal Canadiens and having success, it wouldn’t be surprising if Halak would want to end his career with another Canadian Original Six team in Toronto.
Of the available veteran goalies, Halak is probably the most desirable option right now to serve as a legitimate back-up because his game hasn’t fallen off a cliff, yet.
He showed that he can still play during his time with the New York Rangers last year, serving as the back-up to Igor Shesterkin, so he’d be a safe play in case Woll doesn’t work out.
If Halak were to play 15 games, Woll plays 20 games and Samsonov plays the remaining 47 games, I think that rotation could be the best of both worlds for all three players.
Samsonov needs to be the starter, but should also be monitored, while Woll deserves some NHL minutes, however not enough to justify a full load as the back-up.
No. 3: Thomas Greiss
Another option for the Toronto Maple Leafs could be Thomas Greiss, who similar the other two goalies we just talked about, has jumped around to multiple teams throughout his career.
Over the past seven years, Greiss has averaged more than 30 games per season, making him a legitimate back-up goalie.
His stats haven’t been great since his time with the New York Islanders, but a lot of that has to do with the teams he played on.
He spent the past three seasons on the Detroit Red Wings and St. Louis Blues, who were all bottom-feeder teams, so a back-up job in Toronto could really help his numbers.
With a career 2.77 GAA and .911 SV%, Greiss would serve as a fine back-up to Samsonov, but similar to Halak, you’d probably want a three-headed monster in net.
At 37-years-old, you’re not looking for Greiss to play more than 20 games next year, so he’d be a viable option as that third-stringer/2B goalie with the team and should help push Woll to play more regular minutes.
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Like all of the goalies we mentioned today, in a perfect world, they’d barely play at all, however they’re great insurance pieces in-case Woll or Samsonov get injured.