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UPDATE - The Leafs were slated to select 25th in the first round of the NHL Draft in Montreal on Thursday, but made a move to clear the final two years of goalie Petr Mrazek's contract, sending the goalie and the first rounder to Chicago for their second round selection (38th overall). This move clears $3.8 million in cap space.
The Toronto Maple Leafs search for a goaltender is front and center in the rumor mill in Montreal, as the league holds their first in-person NHL Draft in three years. The goaltending dominoes began to fall on Thursday, as the Colorado Avalanche acquired Alexandar Georgiev from the New York Rangers for a 2022 fifth-rounder and 2023 third-rounder.
The deal was followed quickly by reports that the Avs would not be bringing back pending free agent Darcy Kuemper. The 32-year-old posted a 37-12-4 record, 2.54 GAA, and .921 save percentage with Colorado and apparently is hoping to parlay his Cup victory into a long-term deal similar to Philippe Grubauer’s 6-year deal with Seattle. That ask would likely eliminate the Leafs from seriously pursuing him.
The chatter from Montreal is that the lack of progress between Toronto and the camp for goalie Jack Campbell is indicative that the 30-year-old All-Star will go to market next Wednesday. The Edmonton Oilers and New Jersey Devils are rumored to be interested and an offer in excess of $5 million is likely.
Reports that the Minnesota Wild and Marc-Andre Fleury had agreed to a one-year deal were quickly refuted, but there seems to be momentum that the two sides will agree on an extension.
Where does that leave Toronto? If Kuemper’s ask is too high, Campbell goes to the Devils/Oilers, and Fleury returns to Minnesota, the Leafs options could be limited to Ville Husso, and Plan B options like Braden Holtby, and Matt Murray (who blocked a deal to Buffalo).
Report from Bob McKenzie indicates that Minnesota is the front-runner to re-sign Fleury, and that if he does, it will be a two-year deal. If Fleury re-ups with the Wild, the Leafs are running out of free agent options and may have to address their goaltending issues via trade.
In other news, the trade sending Alex DeBrincat to Ottawa could make former Leaf Connor Brown available. Brown, 28, has one year left at $3.6 million and may be someone that Toronto could have interest in as a replacement for the departing Ilya Mikheyev.
Full Maple Leafs schedule here: pic.twitter.com/t6OdTnZxOU
— Lukas Weese (@Weesesports) July 6, 2022
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