The Toronto Maple Leafs Not Trading for a Goalie Was a Massive Mistake
The Toronto Media is guilty of recency bias.
That is the only way to explain how the Toronto Maple Leafs have mostly escaped criticism for not adding a goalie to their roster before the NHL trade deadline.
Even though Ilya Samsonov won a playoff round, the Leafs have seen what goalies like Carey Price, Andrei Vasilevskiy and Sergei Bobrovsky can do for a team at playoff time. It should be clear to everyone who cares about the Leafs that they don't have a goalie of that level on their current roster.
The Leafs realized that Samsonov wasn't ever going to get to that level and refused to extend his contract, forcing him to arbitration and giving him just a single year.
He didn't react well, and was on waivers a couple of months later.
And cleared.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Not Trading for a Goalie Was a Massive Mistake
The Leafs showed their hand last week when they played Boston Bruins twice and Joseph Woll started both games. Despite Samsonov's recent hot streak, they clearly want to play the rookie if they can.
And that's fine, I would too.
I just wouldn't have bet a season of Auston Matthews' prime on a rookie goalie who hasn't really been able to put together a fully healthy season once during his early 20s.
It is way too easy to see Samsonov starting games in April and May and that's just negligent. I don't care how good he has played lately, the fact is he can't be trusted and, barring an unlikely hot streak, will never be the kind of goalie who gives his team a psychological edge in the playoffs (let alone a physical one).
The formula seems so simple it's a wonder the Leafs haven't tried it yet: pair Auston Matthews with an elite goalie and win the Stanley Cup.
If Matthews gets hot, all you need is league average goaltending to win, so it makes sense to do everything you can to make sure you get at least that.
Personally, I would have identified the top five goalies in the NHL (Shesterkin, Saros, Sorokin, Hellebuyck, Vasilevskiy) and then offered their teams anything they wanted for such a jewel.
Realistically, you really can't get one of these guys without drafting them (all five play for their original team) but once talk that Saros was available started, Treliving shouldn't have stopped until he had the rarest unicorn in the NHL world - an elite starting goalie.
manual
The Toronto Maple Leafs aren't going to win the Stanley Cup this season, so hopefully they realize the error of their ways and make getting a top goalie their top priority in the off-season.