The hiring of Curtis Sanford as the Leafs new goalie coach has been overshadowed by the excitement of the draft and the many other changes in the Leafs front office, however, it may be one of the most important things they've done so far this off season, aside from dumping Petr Mrazek's contract to the Blackhawks. At the draft, Sheldon Keefe was asked what made Sanford the best choice in his eyes. Keefe had this to say:
Sanford earned the job as one of 10 potential options that were interviewed. Two key points out of that Keefe quote were his focus on fundamentals and the fact that he knows what its like to play in a Canadian market. The goals that kill momentum and cost teams games are the squeakers that proper positioning and technique could have otherwise prevented. Paying close attention to fundamentals will help to stop those from happening. Canadian markets, Toronto especially, come with a lot of pressure. Having a goalie coach who can relate can be a huge help, especially if a goalie is struggling with their confidence like Jack Campbell did during parts of last season.
It's easy to call a move a success before the puck drops on a new season, but the way things went with Steve Briere over the past few years, a change was clearly needed. I'd be lying if I said that I had my eye on Curtis Sanford for the job. My pick was another guy named Curtis who played for the Leafs during his illustrious NHL career. Nevertheless, Sanford's success in Vancouver is what gives me confidence. He and the Canucks have managed to develop a true #1 goaltender in Thatcher Demko, something the Leafs haven't been able to do since Felix Potvin (sorry James Reimer fans). The Leafs have several promising prospects and any one of Joseph Woll, Erik Kallgren, Keith Petruzzelli or Dryden McKay still have a shot. Hopefully with Sanford's guidance, one of them actually emerges as a viable option.
