Seeing Jeremy Swayman fight with the Bruins probably warms even the most cynical of Leafs Fans hearts, but the team should take it a step further and send him an offer-sheet (of course, they'd first have to acquire the proper picks in a separate trade, but it could be done). Best case scenario: The Toronto Maple Leafs get the generational goalie they've been looking for since Ed Belfour retired.
Worst case scenario: The Toronto Maple Leafs screw over their most hated rivals.
It's a no-lose situation.
But it will never happen because the Leafs have the most cowardly, risk-adverse group of management professionals to ever run a hockey team. The Toronto Maple Leafs aren't even going to try to get Jeremy Swayman, and that, right there, is all you need to know about this team.
If the Toronto Maple Leafs were smart they'd offer-sheet Jeremy Swayman
A nice big fat $10 million contract for seven years would get Swayman on the Leafs, where he'd be the best goalie in a generation and turn the Leafs instantly from pretenders to contenders.
Joseph Woll is a longshot bet. Jeremy Swayman is nearly a sure thing. A never before injured 25 year old who is 6'4 and on a direct path to the hall of fame.
Sure, the money would be hard to fit in under the cap, but I'm sure William Nylander would enjoy playing in Boston with David Pastrnak, so everyone wins here.
In most cases, I'd advise against trading a star forward for a goalie, but this is Auston Matthews Prime we're talking about and a team with a superstar goalie and the second best player alive is going to be nearly unstoppable.
Swayman's career save-percentage ranks him 7th all-time. His career GAA ranks him 17th. He just got finished playing about half the games for a team that has one of the best two-year 5v5 save-percentages of all-time. (quant hockey, and ignoring the games played minimum).
Goalies in the NHL are hard to figure. Sometimes they are good for a while and get bad again. There are a lot of one-year wonders, for sure. And I get that Swayman only played about half the games during Boston's last two legendary years of regular season play.
Doesn't matter in the least. If you aren't willing to bet on Swayman, you aren't willing to bet on anyone. There isn't a lower risk goalie you could bet on - they are all big swings, it can't be helped. There are no sure-things at this position.
But it's also, by far, the most important position. The best goalie - whoever it is - pretty much always ends up being worth more to his team than even Connor Mcdavid. If there was any consistancy to the position, only goalies would reach the McDavid-level of excellent.
Plus, the Leafs still owe them for Tukka Rask.
The Leafs should submit a ridiculous offersheet and then work out a trade with Nylander going the otherway. This is the most no-brainer move ever. And I don't believe for a second that the Leafs have even considered it.