Toronto Maple Leafs looking to upgrade in net
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski - USA Today Sports
Joseph Woll may be the goaltender of the future in Toronto, but the Maple Leafs will be perusing the market for a couple of veteran goalies just in case of injury.
There is no denying the talent that Woll possesses but the injury history for the young goalie has the Toronto Maple Leafs slightly worried heading into the off-season and Chris Johnston believes that the club will be looking to address the blue paint through a multiple moves.
All three of Ilya Samsonov, Matt Murray, and Martin Jones are going to be unrestricted free agents this summer and while the Leafs could choose to keep one around, that might not be enough security if Woll - or another goaltender - were to go down with another injury. Johnston believes the club was willing to hand the keys to the 25-year-old netminder this season, but he was only able to suit up for 25 games this year after battling through a high ankle sprain for 3 months.
"I think they (the Leafs) are probably getting two veterans, would be my calculation.
Samsonov, Martin Jones, and Matt Murray are all pending UFAs. Now, it's possible that one of those players is back but it's too soon to say one way or the other.
I would think they're signing at least 2 veteran goaltenders with some NHL track record... one of them will be slotted unofficially in the 3 spot but right now I don't think you can say 100% that Joseph Woll is their number one because there's too many questions about the injury history, frankly, and that'll be something they dive into this summer a little bit."
Samsonov, Martin Jones, and Matt Murray are all pending UFAs. Now, it's possible that one of those players is back but it's too soon to say one way or the other.
I would think they're signing at least 2 veteran goaltenders with some NHL track record... one of them will be slotted unofficially in the 3 spot but right now I don't think you can say 100% that Joseph Woll is their number one because there's too many questions about the injury history, frankly, and that'll be something they dive into this summer a little bit."
The UFA market isn't littered with a lot of juicy options, but if they do test the waters and are looking for multiple veteran netminders to help Woll, they could look at Kaapo Kahkonen, Kevin Lankinen, Laurent Brossoit, and maybe even a reunion with James Reimer.
Another thing that Johnston pointed out that the Leafs will be looking to address is Woll's training and off-season workouts in an attempt to see if there's something they can fix to avoid further injuries:
"Is there something about his training? Is there something they can change? It's sort of like my view on the roster, if you want a different outcome, you have to change something.
...Now some things are bad luck, of course, injuries are part of the sport that players in all positions, in all age classifications, in junior hockey, in college hockey, in the NHL, in the AHL, players get injured. But it's been a troubling pattern in Woll's case and it's pretty costly... but point being if Woll was in the net, maybe it's different, who knows."
...Now some things are bad luck, of course, injuries are part of the sport that players in all positions, in all age classifications, in junior hockey, in college hockey, in the NHL, in the AHL, players get injured. But it's been a troubling pattern in Woll's case and it's pretty costly... but point being if Woll was in the net, maybe it's different, who knows."
Signing Brossoit as a veteran backup with a good track record might be the best option on the table but he is coming off his best season to date and could be looking to cash in. Nevertheless, the Maple Leafs will be keeping their eyes firmly on the market as they look to address a major weak-link and look to revolutionize their roster and playoff chances.
| POLL | ||
MAI 8 | 782 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs looking to upgrade in net Is Joseph Woll ready to be the number one goaltender? | ||
| Yes, he's their most skilled option | 302 | 38.6 % |
| No, the injury history is worrying | 347 | 44.4 % |
| Not quite yet, maybe in 2025-26 | 133 | 17 % |
| List of polls | ||
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