After their first-round playoff exit and the hiring of a new head coach, the Toronto Maple Leafs have shifted into full offseason mode.
On May 27, Joshua Kloke of The Athletic reported that the front office is “in roster dissection mode” and “analyzing everything they have at their disposal.”
Kloke’s report highlights the Leafs’ pressing need to “acquire a goalie of prominence this offseason.”
“They’re interested in two types of goalies: a starter with a track record of carrying a heavy workload or a cheaper goalie to be paired in a tandem,” Kloke wrote, adding, “The prices and availability of different goalies could, in part, dictate their decision.”
Throughout the 2024 season, Toronto employed a three-man rotation in net with Ilya Samsonov (40 starts), Joseph Woll (23), and Martin Jones (19). This trio achieved a save percentage of .898, allowed an average of 3.01 goals per game, and combined for 46 wins.
Woll, a young netminder who will soon turn 26, has only played 36 NHL games over three seasons. According to Spotrac, Samsonov and Jones are pending unrestricted free agents.
Considering goalies take the longest to turn pro once drafted and with Toronto holding the No. 23 pick in the 2024 draft, drafting a goalie is not a viable option.
This leaves the Maple Leafs with two paths to address their goaltending issues: trading for a netminder or signing a free agent.
“Jacob Markstrom (who has a No-Move Clause) and Juuse Saros make some sense as trade targets,” Kloke wrote. “Their respective teams, the Calgary Flames and Nashville Predators, aren’t in a position to contend immediately and each have younger goalies.”
Kloke also noted that the Boston Bruins might try to move Linus Ullmark in the offseason. However, acquiring a notable piece from a division rival poses challenges.
“Acquiring notable pieces from within your own division is a difficult proposition for any NHL team. But that shouldn’t prevent Treliving from understanding the cost of acquiring Linus Ullmark from the Bruins,” Kloke wrote.
Kloke summarized that pursuing a trade for a top-tier goalie will depend on how many assets the Leafs are willing to part with.
“The pieces that will need to be shipped out to acquire any of the high-profile goalies won’t be insignificant,” Kloke wrote. “We’re talking big risk and (potentially) big reward when it comes to the starting goalie position.”
Alternatively, the Leafs could find a cheaper option in the free-agent market, avoiding the need to give up assets in a trade.
Kloke suggests that “signing a goalie to share the load with Woll could provide close to comparable results as a true starter might.”
He mentions Laurent Brossoit, Anthony Stolarz, and Alex Nedeljkovic as notable UFAs who “deserve consideration.”
Kloke believes that if the Leafs want to land Brossoit, they will need to offer him more than 23 starts next season, possibly letting Samsonov and Jones go.
“It’s believed Brossoit would prefer to sign with a team that can offer a step up from the 23 games he played in Winnipeg this season,” Kloke wrote.
Regarding Florida Panther’s Stolarz, Kloke wrote that, as a current backup, he might be open to partnering with Woll. “He would likely be open to playing in a tandem,” Kloke wrote. “Stolarz will very likely hit the market.”
Kloke concluded that Pittsburgh Penguins goalie Nedeljkovic “could be a short-term option before re-loading again in the future,” if the goalie market “gets uber-competitive” and the Leafs “get priced out of other options.”