A look at some potential goaltending options for the Leafs next season
The Leafs will have some decisions on their hands this off season. A meager rise in the NHL's salary cap means that things will be tight, but that's never stopped Kyle Dubas in the past. First on his list should be addressing the Leafs' goaltending situation.
For better or for worse, depending on how things go in the playoffs, Jack Campbell's contract is up. The likeable netminder has been fantastic in stretches this season, but his recent run of subpar play and injury have hurt his value. Campbell proved this season than he can play at the level of a number one goalie, its up to him and the Leafs sizeable coaching staff to make it happen for a full season. In truth, I think that a new goaltending coach could go a long way in Toronto.
Petr Mrazek has had a nightmare season and is currently on injured reserve for the third time this year. The man who was brought in to be a 1b goalie has put up worse numbers than Garret Sparks' ill fated season as the Leafs backup.
If at all possible, the Leafs will be moving Mrazek. A buyout could even be a solution, it would drop Mrazek's cap hit to $1,433,333 for the next 4 seasons rather than 3.8 for the next 2. Not an ideal solution, but one that wouldn't cost the Leafs valuable picks and prospects to do. Whatever the method, I think Mrazek has played his last game as a Maple Leaf.
The free agent market for goalies this season has some interesting names. Marc Andre Fleury and Darcy Kuemper are the biggest ones, but with the amount of teams looking for upgrades in net this off season, the prices are bound to be astronomical for them. That's if they hit the market at all. The second tier however has some names that just might work, starting with Ville Husso. Husso has been excellent for the Blues this season but Jordan Binnington and his 6 million dollar cap hit are standing in his way. He could be an excellent pickup for the Leafs and his relatively small amount of games played in the NHL could keep his cap hit down. Whether or not he'll be available is the big question.
Joonas Korpisalo is another name that could be of interest to the Leafs, the Finnish netminder has had a couple of rough seasons in Columbus, but the Leafs have seen first hand just how good he can be when he is on his game. A one year "prove it" contract could work nicely here.
If the Leafs decide to extend Campbell and don't fully trust Erik Kallgren to be the full time backup, Braden Holtby and Jaroslav Halak could both be compelling options with plenty of experience behind them. These two would both be offered short term, cap friendly deals to play in tandem with Campbell.
At this point, its too early to really know which way the Leafs are leaning in terms of the future. Accordng to Pierre LeBrun, Campbell's agent hasn't spoken to Dubas much since before the season started, preferring to see how this year goes before making a decision. It seems as though everything is riding on how the Leafs fare come playoff time, as it should. Winning in the regular season is great, but if they can't get it done when it counts, it may be time to look at other options.
| POLL | ||
13 AVRIL | 341 ANSWERS A look at some potential goaltending options for the Leafs next season Who should the Leafs sign this off-season? | ||
| Husso | 88 | 25.8 % |
| Korpisalo | 74 | 21.7 % |
| Holtby | 88 | 25.8 % |
| Keep what they have | 91 | 26.7 % |
| List of polls | ||
