Toronto Maple Leafs: The Impending Goaltending Problem
Free Agent Options
The third route the team could go — if they choose to move on from Andersen — is that of free agency. It’s very difficult to speculate which players currently slated for free agency after next season will actually make it that far, but as it stands there are a number of interesting options.
Henrik Lundqvist and Pekka Rinne are players who almost certainly will not be re-signed, as their teams have younger options at the position. They could be options for a competitive Leafs team on one-year deals.
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Jake Allen will also likely become a free agent as the Blues won’t want to pay both him and Binnington – he has had a nice bounce back season in a lesser role and will only be 30 when he hits free agency. Finally, Tuukka Rask is a potential free agent and while it would be strange sight in a Leafs uniform, it would be oddly satisfying to see him finish his career where it started in Toronto.
Neither of these three options seem all that enticing when it comes to replacing Andersen. Unfortunately, I also don’t love the idea of re-signing him if it means losing key parts of the roster; Toronto seems to be stuck between a rock and a hard place here.
The team has certainly already been considering their option, and it’s a problem that will begin to creep into fan conversation as we get closer to the end of Andersen’s deal. The direction Kyle Dubas and the rest of the front office choose to take could define this era of Leafs hockey.
Next. What to do with each pending Leafs UFA. dark
What do you want to see the Toronto Maple Leafs do regarding their goaltending problem? Would you prefer to re-sign Andersen, give Campbell his shot, turn to one of their young prospects or look outside the organization? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.