Toronto Maple Leafs trade rumour: Hurricanes interested in Frederik Andersen
Trade speculation around Frederik Andersen continues to gain steam as the Carolina Hurricanes have reportedly shown interest in the Toronto Maple Leafs goalie.
The next few weeks will be interesting for the Toronto Maple Leafs as the trade rumours have been ramping up especially around starting goaltender Frederik Andersen.
Recently, it was reported that the Leafs starter was being shopped along with other players as they try to gain some assets and cap flexibility to make other moves. Now, it appears we have a potential landing spot for Andersen as the Carolina Hurricanes have shown interest, according to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman.
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It’s not surprising to see the Hurricanes show interest in Andersen considering they don’t have a bonafide starter and were relying on a tandem of Petr Mrazek and James Reimer. Considering Carolina continues to make strides and has a strong defence, it’s not hard to understand why Andersen would be a target for them.
However, Friedman adds that the Leafs don’t have a desire to move Andersen and would only move him if they can find a clear upgrade. This is probably a scenario where the Leafs try to wait out the market and force a team like Carolina to pay a higher price when other options get scooped up.
It was clear with the Kasperi Kapanen trade that Toronto isn’t wasting time trying to get business out of the way. As Friedman mentions, it would be tough to see Andersen get moved now but does the team wait until free agency to get a deal done?
If the Leafs do decide to move Andersen, it’s important for them to realize that they would need to find a replacement. Since joining the team, the 30-year-old has compiled a 136-66-33 record with a 2.77 goals-against average and a .916 save percentage. That production isn’t the easiest to replace but it will also require the Leafs to explore various avenues.
With one year left on his deal at $5 million, Andersen should be able to fetch a decent return if the Leafs can draw up enough interest and that will likely mean a potential trade won’t be happening for a while. At the same time, no one expected a trade to be made during the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Related Story. 4 potential replacements for Frederik Andersen. light
Do you expect Andersen to return to the Leafs next season? Where could you see him getting moved to and what should the return in a trade be? Let us know in the comments below.