Here's why Darcy Kuemper's Stanley Cup win could drastically alter the Leafs' summer plans
Name a better match than the Leafs and questions in goal. That's right, you can't! Sorting out the goaltending situation is without a doubt the Leafs' number one priority this summer and there are a few different ways that GM Kyle Dubas can go here.
1. Dubas can grind at the negotiating table to try to bring back Jack Campbell for the lowest possible dollar - which, unfortunately, may not be that far below his $5M ask, considering the fact that starting goaltenders are at a premium right now and he'll certainly get that somewhere.
2. The Leafs' GM can pull off a trade to bring in a bona-fide #1 goaltender. This option is the most costly, as not only will it impact the Leafs on a salary cap level, but it will also cost them premium assets and draft capital.
3. The Buds can allow Campbell to walk as a UFA and sign a replacement when free agency opens up on July 13th. This would cost nothing but cap dollars, but unless they're bringing in Marc-Andre Fleury, there are no guarantees that they'll be upgrading over Jack Campbell. The thought is that if the Leafs do use free agency to re-vamp their goaltending, they'll likely be looking for a pair of inexpensive goalies to run as a tandem.
Ultimately, no matter which way the Leafs go, there are upsides and there are downsides. But, at least if they go the inexpensive tandem route, they'll keep all of their assets and they'll be able to focus more of their finances on securing upgrades on the blueline and the forward corps and employ a system that better supports their goaltenders.
The best thing that came out of this year for the Leafs, even though they finished 4th overall in the regular season and broke franchise records for wins and total points, is probably the fact that the Avs won the Stanley Cup with Darcy Kuemper, who posted a save percentage just BARELY above .900. What that shows is that it is possible to win without having a high-priced goalie stealing you games.
Now, granted, the Avs have a defensive corps that included Cale Makar, Devon Toews, Sam Girard, Erik Johnson and Bowen Byram (vastly superior to the Leafs' D corps), but if the Leafs were to spare themselves some cap space in the goalie department and bring someone like 26-year-old Alexandar Gerogiev and trade for a reclamation project like MacKenzie Blackwood, they could conceivably use what's left over to upgrade up front and on D to bolster the lineup in front of their netminders.
If the Leafs can run a tandem for less than, say, $5M against the cap, move Petr Mrazek, Justin Holl and someone like Alex Kerfoot, they'd be able to make a significant addition on defense AND a significant addition up front with plenty of cap space left over to assemble a competitive bottom six.
We, as a fanbase, often like to sell the Leafs short and dismiss some of the realistic options that are available to them. Maybe it's a defense mechanism so we don't have to get excited only to be crushed all over again, but there are some very real possibilities this summer to build a roster of world-beaters up front and on defense, and with Darcy Kuemper showing everyone that you don't need .925 goaltending to win a Stanley Cup, the sky truly is the limit if the Leafs decide to take a few risks in goal to assemble 3 lines who can cave in the opposition on any given night or a top-4 who rivals almost any top-4 in the league.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 28 | 318 ANSWERS Here's why Darcy Kuemper's Stanley Cup win could drastically alter the Leafs' summer plans Can the Leafs win a Cup without a goalie who is capable of stealing games? | ||
| Yes | 51 | 16 % |
| No | 171 | 53.8 % |
| They can out-score their problems | 17 | 5.3 % |
| Maybe if they bolster their defense | 79 | 24.8 % |
| List of polls | ||
