Some options in goal for the Leafs should they wish to make a change in the second half
This is the last in a series of 5 articles that I will complete as we continue the march towards the NHL's trade deadline. COVID postponements, players in and out of protocol and teams with multiple games in hand on their division rivals has muddied the playoff picture. There's still a lot to be determined between now and March 21st at 3pm, when the buzzer sounds on this season's trades.
As a reminder, we've all heard about some of the bigger names out there, but due to the realities of the Maple Leafs' salary cap situation, I wanted to take a look at the 'under the radar' players the team may look to add. Again, I'm sticking with teams that are more than likely on the outside looking in when it comes to the playoffs, players that are pending unrestricted free agents, or players that have stated they need a change of scenery.
The Maple Leafs have their Number 1 guy in Jack Campbell. A blazing hot start out of the gate has been cooled a bit with some recent struggles, however it's Jack that is firmly implanted in the starter's net for the Blue and White. Petr Mrazek has underperformed during his limited time in the crease, hampered by injury and a time or two where the Leafs couldn't provide much in the way of goal support. An impressive outing on Long Island recently may put some of the rumours to bed. It seems as though Dubas may have to wait until the off-season to fully address the goalie situation, but it's always fun to speculate.
With a 7 million dollar cap hit, and the likelihood that 'The Flower' controls his own destiny, I'm not sure that this is a realistic target for Toronto. But the reigning Vezina trophy winner is an intriguing target. You have to think that to make this work, Mrazek would be going the other way, but then the Leafs would have no full-time NHL calibre goalie signed past the end of this season.
Mikko Koskinen
Koskinen has been criticized for his play this season in Edmonton, but as he so kindly put it "goalies can't score" and there are bigger troubles than in the crease for the Oilers. This could be another Zaitsev type of trade in that the Leafs could look to ship out Mrazek and his two more years at 3.8 million in exchange for Koskinen who is being paid 4.5 million, but only until the end of the current campaign. File this one under salary cap management as opposed to significantly improving the roster for the playoffs.
After stone-walling the Maple Leafs in the playoff bubble, would Kyle pull the trigger on a deal to bring the netminder to Toronto? At 2.8 million, the cap hit is not insignificant, but the move could provide the Leafs with some insurance moving forward.
Braden Holtby
Another move that could provide some insurance for the playoffs, Holtby has playoff experience, but his play has declined in recent seasons since his Cup run with the Capitals. He does however come in at a slightly more affordable 2 million dollar cap hit. Moving out a contract like Nick Ritchie's makes a move like this a possiblility.
Holding down a 7-6 record in the Nation's capital is no small feat given the team's struggles and Forsberg carries with him a respectable if not league average save percentage at .912. A pending UFA and a 900K cap hit make this move a possibility, provided the Sens would be willing to assist a provincial rival.
I'm not convinced that the Leafs will do anything significant with their goalie tandem in-season. I think there a much tougher contract negotiations (Jack Campbell) and much tougher trade negotiations (Petr Mrazek) to come in the summer. They could look to make a minor move just to have an extra NHL-ready puck stopper in the event someone is needed for the playoffs. Thanks for taking a look at the 'under the radar' trade targets.
