Toronto Maple Leafs: 7 Players to Watch as Season Comes to an End
Garret Sparks
Sparks has been a nice story for the Leafs. He has been compared to James Reimer for the way he acts both on and off the ice. He has worked hard to get to the NHL, spending time in the ECHL and being one of the top goalies in the AHL, before getting called up by the Leafs. The jury is still out on what his potential is, but there is no reason not to feel optimistic with him getting a chance to start next season.
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If he plays well in the AHL playoffs he will get a lot of consideration for playing time with the Leafs next season, depending on what happens in the offseason with Jonathan Bernier.
It is tough to judge Sparks on what his numbers look like this season, but hopefully with more playing time he can show more consistency. He will be an RFA this summer, so he will probably be brought back on a short-term deal with a chance to prove himself. A big part of that will come in the AHL playoffs, where he will probably get the bulk of the starts. Hopefully he can step up his game in high pressure situations.
Next: Rinat Valiev