Toronto Maple Leafs need to quickly figure out goaltending situation

Goaltending is a huge concern for the Toronto Maple Leafs as we prepare to enter crunch time.

Heading into the 2020-21 season, many expected the Toronto Maple Leafs to not only be the top team in the North Division, but one of the best amongst the entire NHL. For a good chunk of the season, that was the case, however they have struggled as of late, having gone 4-6-0 through their last 10 games.

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There have been multiple reasons for their struggles. One is that Auston Matthews, who was on fire to start the season, has just three goals in his last 12 games. Another is that John Tavares has not been at his best, particularly at even strength where he has just 18 points in 33 contests. The biggest reason for their struggles, however, has been the play of goaltender Frederik Andersen.

The 31-year-old has appeared in 23 games this season, posting a 2.91 Goals Against Average (GAA) along with a .897 Save Percentage (SV%). Those are very poor numbers, as the average throughout the NHL this season is a 2.74 GAA and a .908 SV%.

In the past, we could have blamed at least some of this on the Leafs’ weak blueline, however that is no longer the case. General Manager Kyle Dubas has done a fantastic job on the backend, bringing in players like Jake Muzzin and T.J. Brodie, while also playing a big role in developing players like Justin Holl and Travis Dermott. On top of those four, they also have Morgan Rielly, who is one of the more offensively gifted defencemen in the entire league. This is no longer a team with problems on the blueline.

Instead, they have become a team with problems in the crease. This wasn’t always the case, as Andersen was quite reliable for the Leafs through his first three seasons with them, particularly in the regular season. In defence of his play this year, he did recently admit that he has been playing injured as of late . However, his poor play isn’t a new thing.

If you take a look at last season, Andersen had a 2.85 GAA and a .909 SV% in 52 games. Not terrible numbers, but significantly worse than what he had posted during his first three seasons with the team. Last season could be described questionable, but this season has been downright bad. Given that it has been going on for a while now, you have to start to wonder whether this is just a bad funk, or the beginning of a decline. Whatever the case, the pressure is on the Toronto Maple Leafs this year and they need to get this situation figured out in a hurry.

Potential Options for the Toronto Maple Leafs

The first option is giving Jack Campbell a shot at the starting position and seeing what he can do with it. Though he has appeared in just 11 games with the Leafs since being acquired from the L.A. Kings last season, he has looked very capable with a 8-2-1 record.

The issue with taking the approach of giving the net to Campbell is that he is very inexperienced, having played in just 69 career NHL games. Even if he were to keep up the great play during the regular season, it is anyone’s guess as to how he would perform in the postseason.

The other option, of course, would be a trade. Recently, NHL Insider Kevin Weekes mentioned several big name goalies who are on the market in Jonathan Quick, Devan Dubnyk, and Jonathan Bernier. There was a time that Quick was one of the best goalies on the planet, but he has really fallen off the past few seasons. Dubnyk is in a similar boat, as his game has taken a dive from what it was a few years back in Minnesota.

As much as Leafs fans don’t want to hear it, the best goalie of those three at this point of their careers is Jonathan Bernier. Though his time as a starter in Toronto did not work out, he has been for the most part solid in more of a ‘1B’ role since leaving, including with the Detroit Red Wings who have a very tough lineup to play behind. In 17 games with the Red Wings this season, he has a 2.78 GAA and a .918 SV%.

Of course, acquiring him would be the difficult part. One reason is that there is no guarantee he would work out in Toronto a second time around, so Dubas would likely not want to give up a ton for the 32-year-old. The other is the quarantine protocols that are in place for anyone crossing the border right now, which would force Bernier to isolate for seven days before he would even be able to practice with the team.

Time Will Tell

At this point, it’s anyone’s guess as to what Kyle Dubas decides to do with this team’s goalie situation. Who knows, perhaps Frederik Andersen is able to get back to what he once was and is able to finally take this team on a postseason run they so desperately need. Right now however, his play certainly isn’t trending in the right direction, and the Toronto Maple Leafs would be best to consider all options before the Trade Deadline.