NHL free agency: 3 teams that need to take advantage of the goalie market
This year’s NHL free agency class features a number of options as far as goaltenders.
Goaltending is the position that can make or break your hockey team and there are so many teams in the NHL that will become legitimate threats once they solve their goalie issue. For a long time, good goalies were so hard to find and once a team got one, they weren’t going to let them go. This year’s NHL free agency class is different.
There are so many high-profile goaltenders hitting the open market as well as good goalies from teams that need to offload salaries. Robin Lehner, Braden Holtby, and Darcy Kuemper are just some of the many names that could be available this fall. Here are three teams that need to take advantage of this situation.
3. Toronto Maple Leafs
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While Frederik Andersen has been the number one guy for the last four years, it seems like the Toronto Maple Leafs are considering moving on.
With one year left on his contract and being 30 years old, there is no way the Leafs re-sign him. With his value high right now, he could be a good piece to trade with to get the defenceman that they so desperately need.
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The Carolina Hurricanes have interest in Frederik Andersen, but Toronto’s made it clear it has no desire to make a move just for the sake of change. If it happens, it’s for an upgrade, which means the Maple Leafs could wait to see how a loaded group of goaltending free agents shakes out.
Since becoming the general manager in 2018, Kyle Dubas has made it clear that he is unafraid to make bold moves to improve his hockey team. Last summer, he dealt fan-favourite Nazem Kadri to the Colorado Avalanche to try and fix the defence issue so trading Andersen would not be an abstract idea.
He acquired Jack Campbell at this year’s trade deadline and Campbell has earned the trust of management with is play. A goalie tandem is what the Leafs will be going for and this year has plenty of good options.
2. Washington Capitals
After a decade of success, the Washington Capitals and Braden Holtby seem poised for a split. With the emergence of Ilya Samsonov and Holtby’s age, it’s time for the Capitals to turn the page. However, there is a wrinkle in this plan and that’s Samsonov’s ATV injury he suffered during the season pause.
While general manager Brian MacLellan said that the goaltender will be ready for next season, putting all your trust in a rookie goaltender who has played just 26 NHL games and suffered a back and neck injury doesn’t feel like a good idea.
If the Capitals want to be contenders next season, they’re going to need to find a goaltender to share Samsonov’s workload as he eases back into the season. Having two reliable goaltenders is key for success in the NHL and the Capitals showed that with the 2019-20 season.
When Holtby started to falter, Samsonov was there to pick up the load and in the playoffs, Washington struggled as they only had Holtby left. No one was there to help out when he was struggling and the Capitals got eliminated.
MacLellan is going to want to find a veteran who is willing to sign a short contract so that he can act as Samsonov’s mentor until he’s ready to be the number one guy for Washington. Holtby’s $6.1 million cap hit will be coming off the books which gives the general manager quite a lot of money to work with.
1. Buffalo Sabres
The Buffalo Sabres have a lot of issues but many of them can be hidden with a good goaltender. They have seven free agents coming off the books this offseason which will give new general manager Kevyn Adams plenty of room to work with.
The tandem of Carter Hutton and Linus Ullmark gave the team a measly .900 save percentage which is just not good enough. Ullmark was impressive with a .915 sv% but Hutton had the worst season of his career. Unfortunately for the Sabres, Ullmark is now and RFA while Hutton is under contract until 2021.
The good news is that the Sabres do have a lot of money to work with and they have the chance to fix their goaltending situation once and for all. Buffalo just needs to find a reliable goaltender to play tandem with Ullmark. If they can do this, it will help hide their defensive blemishes and give their offence a fighting chance. The Sabres have plenty of issues to address but goaltending should be their top priority.
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Ullmark has played just 97 NHL games (all with the Sabres) in five seasons and has a career .911 save percentage. Considering the team in front of him, this is quite impressive. Building a solid tandem will go a long way for this team and will help show captain Jack Eichel that real change is happening.