Toronto Maple Leafs facing similar dilemma that previously cost them Tuukka Rask
The Tuukka Rask trade has haunted the Maple Leafs over the years, and the team is now facing a similar dilemma with their young goalies.
Coming out of the lockout, the Toronto Maple Leafs missed out on the playoffs in 2005-06. However, they were not willing to throw in the towel and announce a rebuild, especially not in the mid-2000s after a stretch of 6 consecutive post-season berths that included 2 trips to the Conference Finals between 1998-99 and 2003-04 leading into the lockout season.
With the aging Ed Belfour on his way out, the Maple Leafs felt like they had to address their goaltending as soon as possible and set their sights on Boston Bruins' netminder Andrew Raycroft. The youngster struggled in 2005-06 but was just one season removed from winning the Calder Trophy as rookie of the year in 2003-04.
The 2004-05 lockout was disastrous for a lot of reasons but it came at the worst time for Raycroft and the Leafs. Raycroft never regained his Calder-winning form and the Maple Leafs' momentum pre-lockout was quickly and completely quelled with archaic management style and thought processes.
Instead of patiently waiting for their prospects, general manager John Ferguson Jr. pulled the plug on Rask and dealt him to Boston for immediate help.Andrew Raycroft lasted 2 years in Toronto where he compiled a 39-34-14 record with a .890 SV% and a 3.17 G.A.A. while Rask went on to record a 308-165-66 record with a scintillating .921 SV% and a 2.28 G.A.A to go along with a Vezina Trophy.
With Dennis Hildeby, Artur Akhtyamov, and Vyacheslav Peksa marinating in the minors, it would serve the Leafs well to revisit their haunted past and look to not repeat their mistakes. They have the luxury to be able to wait a few years unlike their predecessors who felt they needed to make a move as soon as possible.
As things currently stand, the Maple Leafs will roll with Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz as their tandem for the 2024-25 season. There's a lot of question marks regarding their lack of experience, but no one's denying their skill-set.
The Maple Leafs have had a revolving door of goaltenders over the last several years and would love to be able to wash away a lot of those uncertainties. Woll looks to be the goaltender of the future after signing a 3-year extension but in 2-years time when Stolarz comes off the books, what then?
In Hildeby, the Leafs have a 22-year-old netminder who posted a 21-11-7 record with a .913 SV% and a 2.41 G.A.A. in his first full season in North America.
In Akhtyamov, Toronto has a goaltender that ran through the Russian circuits and ended the 2023-24 season with a 2.00 G.A.A. and a .927 SV% in 19 games in the VHL and a 2.51 G.A.A. and a .921 SV% in 17 games in the KHL.
Finally, in Peksa, the Leafs have a 21-year-old who posted a 2.34 G.A.A. and a .921 SV% in 40 games in the VHL in 2022-23 before making the leap to the ECHL last year with a 3.71 G.A.A. and a .890 SV% in his first taste of North American hockey.
There is almost no need for the Leafs to make any rash judgement calls or decisions for a couple of seasons with Hildeby and Akhtyamov turning 23-years-old and Peksa turning only 22. Hildeby is expected to be the starter for the Toronto Marlies in 2024-25 while Akhtyamov and Peksa will look to earn their stripes in training camp for the opportunity to stick in the AHL.
After years of uncertainty in goal, the Leafs now have 3 capable young prospects who have played spectacularly whenever called upon whether that was in the SHL, KHL, VHL, or AHL. The timeline is working in their favour because 2 years from now they'll have a better understanding of what they have in Woll, they'll have an open spot on their NHL roster, and they will have a much better grasp of where each of their prospects stand.
It's very rare for any club to have 3 really good goaltending prospects within the same age-group and essentially playing together at the same level. It's going to be an interesting battle in the blue paint over the next few seasons in the minors but that kind of competition will only serve them better.
Source for Andrew Raycroft's statistics: Hockey-Reference
Andrew Raycroft
Source for Tuukka Rask's statistics: Hockey-Reference
Tuukka Rask
Source for Dennis Hildeby's statistics: HockeyDB
Dennis Hildeby
Source for Artur Akhtyamov's statistics: Elite Prospects
Artur Akhtyamov
Source for Vyacheslav Peksa's statistics: Elite Prospects
Vyacheslav Peksa
| POLL | ||
JUILLET 28 | 1462 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs facing similar dilemma that previously cost them Tuukka Rask As of today, who is the best goaltending prospect based on potential? | ||
| Dennis Hildeby | 1034 | 70.7 % |
| Artur Akhtyamov | 269 | 18.4 % |
| Vyacheslav Peksa | 159 | 10.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
