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Are clubs needing goaltending looking towards Toronto? Leafs vs Flames

December 6, 2017, 6:42 AM ET [142 Comments]
Mike Augello
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Through the first two months of the 2017-18 season, teams have become painfully aware that they can never have enough goaltending.

The surprising success of the Vegas Golden Knights is made even more surprising by the fact that they lost three goalies to injury in October and were able to continue winning.

Other teams with recent injuries to starters or backups are scrambling for reinforcements.

Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Matt Murray was injured in a game against the Philadelphia Flyers last week and even though the two-time Stanley Cup winner is skating and could be back sometime this month, the Penguins are looking for a veteran backup that will allow them to send rookie Tristan Jarry down to the AHL when Murray returns.

Edmonton has a more pressing dilemma with goalie Cam Talbot on the shelf. Indications are his upper body injury could keep the Oilers starter out more than a couple weeks and that puts them in a precarious position with the inexperienced Laurent Brossoit having to carry the burden.

Florida starter Roberto Luongo may be out for the second time this season after the 38-year-old suffered a lower body injury against the New York Islanders on Monday. Former Leaf James Reimer will have to step into the void left by Luongo, but after losing Antti Niemi on waivers, the Panthers may be looking for someone to back up Reimer.

Names like Niemi, Andrew Hammond, Michael Hutchinson and Eddie Lack have been circulating as potential options for these teams, but one team that made a goaltending move early on and now is sitting in a fortuitous position is the Toronto Maple Leafs.

A brief game preview of #Leafs - Flames from an undisclosed location near Air Canada Centre. Pardon my raspy voice.

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Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello saw an opportunity in early October after Vegas claimed Malcolm Subban from Boston and acquired goalie Calvin Pickard from the Golden Knights for minor leaguer Tobias Lindberg and a 2018 sixth round pick. The trade improved the club's depth in net, with veteran Curtis McElhinney, Pickard and Garret Sparks in back of starter Frederik Andersen.

The Leafs signed McElhinney to a two-year, $1.7 Million contract over the summer after being more dependable option than Jhonas Enroth and Antoine Bibeau last season, but the 34-year-old has been rather pedestrian in four starts.

McElhinney's $850,000 AAV might be a factor for teams up against the cap looking for a temporary fix.

Pickard is putting up superb numbers with the Toronto Marlies (6-2-0, 1.90 GAA, .933 save %), played very well as a backup for two seasons with the Colorado Avalanche and for Team Canada at the 2017 World Championships.

Sparks is having a remarkable year (11-3-0, 1.64 GAA and .944 save %) with the Marlies thus far, but the 24-year-old has just played in just 17 career NHL games.

If teams are contacting the Leafs about backup help, it is likely that the inquiries are focused on McElhinney or Pickard. Toronto may see Pickard as the successor to the backup job, but if they don’t, he could be an attractive get for a team looking for help in net, as he is a restricted free agent and can be retained with a qualifying offer next summer.

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As expected, two more Leafs prospects have been selected by their respective countries for the upcoming 2018 World Junior Championships in Buffalo, NY. Goaltender Joseph Woll has been selected as one of three goaltenders for Team USA and defenseman Timothy Liljegren was among eight blueliners picked for Team Sweden.




The 19-year-old (selected 62nd overall by Toronto in 2016) started twice for the US during the preliminary round of last year's WJC and that experience could give him a leg up on Dallas prospect Jake Oettinger as the primary starter.

Woll is 7-5-2, with a 2.70 GAA and .905 save % in his sophomore year at Boston College.

Liljegren was the Maple Leafs first selection in the 2017 NHL Draft (17th overall) and in 14 games with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, the 18-year-old has eight points (one goal and seven assists).




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Tyler Bozak participated in the Leafs morning skate at Air Canada Centre, skating in between James van Riemsdyk and Mitch Marner and will return to the lineup against the Calgary Flames on Wednesday.

William Nylander, who replaced Bozak up the middle at practice earlier in the week, returned to the wing on the fourth line with Matt Martin and Dominic Moore.




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