The Leafs’ Goaltending Depth for the Upcoming Season
We are looking at how well the Leafs’ goaltending depth will hold up in the case of injuries to the starting goalie or backup.
The Leafs‘ goaltending seems to be set for the upcoming season with number one Frederik Andersen backed up by Jhonas Enroth, but what if there is an injury to one of these goalies?
An even scarier scenario would be injuries to both of them simultaneously,
As we enter year two of the Leafs’ rebuild, we will likely see a few of their highly touted rookies make the team out of training camp. Additionally, we can be fairly certain the audition process will continue in earnest, with multiple call ups from the Toronto Marlies to occur throughout the season.
From these realities, we have a good idea of what to expect concerning the Leaf skaters, however what could happen between the pipes is a completely different story.
Looking through the Leafs’ goaltending depth chart we see Garret Sparks, who showed some promise last season in his NHL debut before being overwhelmed with too much, too soon, in his development.
Despite Sparks clearly demonstrating he wasn’t quite ready for the big leagues, Leaf management prudently re-signed him to an inexpensive, two-way NHL contract at the end of last season, just in case his services are needed with the big club this year.
Next up is Antoine Bibeau, who held a clip board as an NHL back up for a few games last season without ever seeing the ice and who will likely be the first call up to see some NHL action this year if an injury were to occur.
With all things considered, Bibeau may well be a decent first option if he can establish some consistency and put together a string of decent games for the Marlies this season. He is in the last year of his entry level contract and the Leafs may just want to see how he fares facing NHL shooters, before a contract renewal is considered.
Then there is Kasimir Kaskisuo with his two-game pro resume which clearly indicates he is an unknown quantity. With the retirement of Solar Bears’ goaltender Rob Madore, we can assume Kaskisuo will likely start the season with Orlando, the Leafs/Marlies southern Florida ECHL affiliate.
Finally, we have Jeff Glass coming to training camp on a PTO with a pro resume that spans 10 years of ECHL, AHL and KHL journeyman work that featured some very good netminding along the way, but was also punctuated by the same inconsistency problems that face all professional goaltenders.
I have mentioned before that I do not agree with those who opine that Glass is simply filling a sweater at a Leafs training camp depleted by the World Cup of Hockey tournament absentees. A decent showing by Glass during NHL exhibition season might just see him glean some playing time somewhere in the Leafs organization, possibly with the Marlies or even the Solar Bears.
It is at about this point in reviewing the Leafs’ organizational goaltending depth chart that a lump appears in the back of my throat and let me tell you this, it is not from being overwhelmed with joy.
On the contrary, it is more a case of utter fright, the fear of how bleak the Leafs’ current crop of goaltending prospects look at the moment, accompanied by the realization that after Anderson and Enroth, the drop off is precipitous. Of the twine minder hopefuls, Sparks alone has NHL experience.
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Some might claim this type of harsh assessment is unfair. Sparks and Bibeau after all did backstop the Marlies to a franchise record-breaking regular season last year.
But it is not the regular season playing behind a stacked team where some of the work load was shared by six other goalies that concerns me. It is what we all saw in the Calder Cup playoffs when the games mattered, that raises an eyebrow.
Both Sparks and Bibeau had some solid outings, with each picking up one shutout over the course of the playoffs but at other times during the post season there were rough patches. Enough so that it is fair to say neither of these two goalie prospects seems ready for the NHL. It remains to be seen if they ever will be.
With recently drafted netminder Joseph Woll years off from beginning his pro career, it would be a rather depressing situation, if not for one emerging goaltending prospect in the system who has been a pleasant surprise.
I’m speaking of Ryan Massa of the Solar Bears. Admittedly his one season of pro hockey is a small sampling, but he seems to be very good. We are speaking as good as James Reimer was at this level and if he is able to maintain his improvement trajectory, he will leapfrog his way to the top of the Leafs’ goaltending depth chart in short order.
Who is he and where did he come from?
Massa began his pro career after four years at the University of Nebraska-Omaha. Playing behind a defensively challenged Solar Bears team that was quite often pilfered of its better players by the Marlies. Still, he managed to post impressive numbers with a 19-13-2 record, yielding a decent .915 save percentage.
His stats only tell part of the story of how well this mature 26 year old tended goal last season though. The tale of the tape doesn’t describe how he outright stole a half a dozen games or so behind a sometimes inept Solar Bears team.
Management is rightfully high on Massa. His coach has nothing but praise for him.
"“Ryan Massa is a true professional that does things the right way on and off the ice,” Solar Bears head coach Anthony Noreen said.“We feel he’s the type of goalie that gives you a chance to win every night.”"
When we look over the Leafs’ goaltending depth chart, it now looks something like this:
- Anderson
- Enroth
- Bibeau
- Sparks
- Glass (if he is offered a contract)
- Kaskisuo
- Massa
We are forced to consider Massa last in order on this chart today, simply because he is signed to an amateur deal while all other goalies in the Leafs system are on NHL contracts. As mentioned earlier, Kaskisuo has only two games of pro experience, but edges out Massa in the depth hierarchy due to his NHL contract status.
Next: 5 Prospects to Watch at Rookie Tournament
As a means of protecting him from next June’s expansion draft, his amateur status is not expected to change over the course of the season. In any event, we will see Massa play some games with the Marlies this season. Do you agree with my depth chart ranking for Leafs Goaltenders?