Toronto Maple Leafs should look for a goalie with a mid-round pick
By Austin Owens
After Frederik Andersen, the future is a question mark in net for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They can use all the help they can get and the draft could be a platform to assist with this.
After the departure of Ed Belfour, the Toronto Maple Leafs went through an abysmal period where they had a handful of goaltenders come in under the premise they would lead the team to the promised land.
That certainly wasn’t the case with any of them: not Vesa Toskala, not Jonas Gustavsson, and certainly not Andrew Raycroft.
This last season, however, it felt like an incoming goaltender could right the ship. Frederik Andersen had one of the best seasons of his career and became the true number-one goalie the Leafs have longed for.
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But the Leafs had a question mark behind Andersen. Jhonas Enroth wasn’t the answer as a backup and Garret Sparks, Antoine Bibeau and Kasimir Kaskisuo cycled in and out of the Marlies’ net during the season.
Kaskisuo took the starter job towards the back half of the AHL season, but struggled in the playoffs, posting a sub .900 save percentage. The time could be now for the Leafs to add another goaltender to the mix.
Although they took Joseph Woll in the third round last year, it never hurts to have depth in net. There aren’t any prospects they can take with the 17th overall pick, nor should they take a chance on a goalie that high.
Jake Oettinger should be the first goaltender off the board, but the Leafs have several other options to choose from in the middle of the draft.
Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen
He’s already getting comparisons to fellow Fin Pekka Rinne, and not just because they share a first name. Luukkonen has steadily climbed up the ranks in the HPK system, putting in good performances at every stop.
His stats with Finland at this year’s U-18 Championships aren’t great, but considering it was only six games, it shouldn’t hurt his stock.
It could be a while before he makes the transition to North America. Luukkonen signed a three-year extension with HPK and will make the jump to the men’s team next season.
He has the ideal frame that teams are looking for in a goaltender and all the intangibles are there for him to have success in the NHL down the road.
Michael Dipietro
If you haven’t heard of Dipietro by now, watch his performance at this year’s Memorial Cup for the Spitfires. He improved his stock by helping the Spits to their third Memorial Cup since 2009.
At 6 foot, he’s not the ideal size teams are looking for in young goaltenders. However, his skill should have people overlooking this.
Keith Petruzzelli
Another big-bodied goalie, Petruzzelli played in the USHL this season where he finished with the seventh best save percentage in the league.
Petruzzelli also has some scoring touch. He scored an empty-net goal this season against Madison.
Petruzzelli will be playing for Quinnipiac University next season, so he’s unlikely to make the jump to the pros for a few years.
Next: Connecting to the Blackhawks rumours
Are there any other goaltenders you think the Leafs should pursue? What are your thoughts on their current goalie situation? Let us know in the comments section below.