The Toronto Maple Leafs Should Not Acquire a Goaltender at the Trade Deadline
The Leafs defense and keeping valuable assets are larger concerns than their goaltending.
Concerns around the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending have followed the team all season. As the NHL trade deadline approaches, questions still abound.
Joseph Woll continues to recover from a high ankle sprain he suffered against the Ottawa Senators in December. He made an encouraging first rehab start with the Toronto Marlies in a 4-1 victory over the Laval Rocket, stopping 36 of 37 shots.
Ilya Samsonov, the Leafs number-one goaltender to start the season, just had the longest win streak of his tenure with the team.
Martin Jones has been serviceable and has done what was required of him throughout the year. It hasn't always been pretty, but he has won games and played during recent back-to-back games to allow rest for Samsonov.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Should Not Acquire a Goaltender at the Trade Deadline
The Leafs have two weeks to determine if they are happy with their goaltending situation before the NHL trade deadline arrives.
Ideally, Woll will get in a couple more games, preferably against NHL competition and the Leafs can decide if his play is comparable to the level he displayed earlier in the year.
Samsonov, after losing the number-one job to Woll due to his disastrous early-season play, has steadied himself and looks more like the player he was last season.
Jones, is there as insurance, as was the Leafs intention since he was signed in the offseason. In other words, the team's goaltending is falling into place as the trade deadline approaches.
The Leafs Have Other Needs and Lack the Assets to Upgrade Their Goaltending
A larger concern for the Leafs is the state of their defense.
The decline of TJ Brodie means that he is overmatched on the top pairing. Rielly is great at what he does, but he can't defend. The depth of Benoit, Lagesson and Giordano is fine, but should any of those guys be starting in the playoffs?
The Leafs blue-line can't move the puck very well and need, more than anything, a puck-moving defender.
They also require a Luke Schenn-type to face the upcoming opponents they will see in the playoffs.
They have physical limitations on their back end to deal with the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett, and Brad Marchand.
The Leafs also have a limited amount of valuable assets to trade. The third, fourth, or fifth-round picks are not going to acquire a goaltender that is any better than what they already have.
Those longing for Jusse Saros or Jacob Markstrom must be aware of the cost. The Leafs first-round pick in 2024 or 2026 would likely be a part of any package along with the talented ceilings and cost-control of prospects like Easton Cowan, Fraser Minten, and Nick Robertson.
Remember too, goaltending is a volatile position. Even the best at the position are not guaranteed success with new teams, especially trying to acclimate themselves to a new team deep in the season.
Recent History Shows Adequate Goaltending Can Win Titles
Recent history shows that not all Stanley Cup-winning teams had star goaltenders.
In fact, during the last decade, Andrei Vasilevskiy and early-career Jonathan Quick are the only bona fide stars who took home a title.
This is because of a combination of extreme variance in the Stanley Cup playoffs, and the inability for all but a few goalies at any time to string together several great seasons in a row.
The other goaltenders on the list of cup winners include Adin Hill of the Vegas Golden Knights, Darcy Keumper of the Colorado Avalanche, and Jordan Binnington of the St. Louis Blues among others.
There is a better-than-even chance your team can win a championship in the newer, parity-driven NHL, without a top-level goaltender. Obviously you have a better chance if you have a better goalie, but outside of Vasilevskiy and Helleybuck, are their any sure things in the NHL?
And given the cost to acquire someone like Markstrom or Saros, do you want to spend the assets required to only get a slightly better shot? A star skater is much more likely to repeat his star performance than a star goalie, and they are often cheaper to acquire beacuse they are less rare.
Therefore, from a risk/reward standpoint, the use of assets to acquire a defenseman or forward is likely to yield better results and be a better investment.
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It's a calculated gamble for the Toronto Maple Leafs to continue with their current crop of goaltenders in their quest for a championship. Yet, giving up important assets for an unnecessary risk would be irresponsible.