For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter
The Toronto Maple Leafs chose Calder Cup winning goaltender Garret Sparks to be the backup to starter Frederik Andersen, placing Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard on waivers on Monday. The club likely felt that the 25-year-old goaltender would not clear waivers coming off a season in which he won the AHL goaltender of the year and hoped that one or both veterans would not get claimed and provide some insurance in goal.
That plan has not worked out the way the Leafs may have wanted, as McElhinney was claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes and Pickard was picked up by the Philadelphia Flyers.
McElhinney went 11-5-1, with a 2.14 GAA and .934 save percentage in 18 games last season and was claimed by Carolina GM Don Waddell because starting goalie Scott Darling suffered a lower body injury last weekend, leaving Petr Mrazek as the only Hurricanes goalie with NHL experience. After an MRI on Monday, Darling is expected to be out for a couple weeks.
"The GM that was with them every day in the GM here"#MapleLeafs keep six members of #Marlies championship team on opening-night roster, including goalie Garret Sparks
— Sporting News Canada (@sportingnewsca) October 1, 2018
Our @MikeInBuffalo files from Toronto
âž¡ï¸ https://t.co/D8Oi48gIeA pic.twitter.com/IxW64uGOU3
Pickard, 26, was acquired from Vegas last October for Tobias Lindberg and a 6th round pick, played one game for the Leafs last season and split time with Sparks on the Marlies, going 21-9-1, with a 2.31 GAA and .918 save percentage in 33 games. The Flyers have both Alex Lyon and Michal Neuvirth out with injuries, want rookie Carter Hart to play in the AHL this season and saw Pickard as an upgrade over current bsckup Anthony Stolarz.
In both situations, the pickups of McElhinney and Pickard may be temporary stop gaps. Once Darling, Lyon and/or Neuvirth are taken off injured reserve, it is possibly that one or both players will be placed on waivers again. In that instance, Toronto will be first in line to reclaim each off of waivers and can place either with the Marlies.
This occurred with forward Seth Griffith two years ago, who was claimed off waivers from Boston, picked up by Florida when the Leafs tried to send him down and reclaimed by Toronto and sent to the Marlies when the Panthers tried to demote him.
In the interim, this situation puts a bit more pressure on Sparks to play well, as the Leafs have no experienced safety net if he does not live up to expectations. The Marlies will go with a tandem of Kasimir Kaskisuo and Eamon McAdam, neither who have made an NHL start.
******* Here is the latest edition of "The Leafs Convo", please watch and subscribe to our YouTube page.and/or listen on iTunes and keep the podcast going by contributing through Patreon.com.
Alright, here we go. Leafs roster moves affect the entire organization. @SteelSaint03 lays out the plan forward for the Leafs top prospects.
— Norman James (@NormanJamesTLC) October 1, 2018
Listen to The 🍁 Convo on @iTunes and @ApplePodcasts. Subscribe while you’re there. #TMLTalk https://t.co/1r6jAjRp6g