Former Leafs goalie signs surprise deal with Atlantic Division team
This week, we have seen a number of ex-Leafs goalies looking to get their careers back on track, and after Kasimir Kaskisuo landed with the Montreal Canadiens AHL affiliate and Aaron Dell inked a PTO with the Carolina Hurricanes, now we have another report involving a former Maple Leafs netminder, who is looking to re-establish himself as an NHL goalie.
This afternoon, the Detroit Red Wings announced they have signed former Leafs goaltender Michael Hutchinson to a 1-year, 2-way deal for the remainder of the season worth $775K.
The need for this move arose when two of the team's netminders, Alex Lyon and Ville Husso, went down with injuries this week, leaving the team in a very precarious position in goal. Bringing in Hutchinson gives the Red Wings a goalie with some NHL experience to help bridge the gap until their injured netminders are healthy enough to return to action.
Hutchinson has spent this season with the Red Wings farm team in the AHL, the Grand Rapids Griffins. There, he has played in 13 games posting a 5-7-1 record with a 2.98 goals-against average, .895 save percentage and one shutout. The Wings already have three goalies on their NHL roster in the aforementioned Husso and Lyon, as well as another ex-Leaf in James Reimer, so it's highly unlikely that Hutch remains with the big club for the duration of the season, unless injury issues persist in goal.
The 33-year-old Hutchinson was drafted in the third round of the 2008 draft by the Boston Bruins and has played in 153 career NHL games with the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Toronto Maple Leafs, Colorado Avalanche and Columbus Blue Jackets. Over his career, he has complied a 57-61-18 record while also posting a 2.93 GAA, .902 save percentage and six shutouts.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 19 | 415 ANSWERS Former Leafs goalie signs surprise deal with Atlantic Division team Do you think Michael Hutchinson finishes his season in Detroit? | ||
| Yes | 217 | 52.3 % |
| No | 198 | 47.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
