The Toronto Maple Leafs have had some interesting goaltending troubles in recent seasons. Matt Murray, Ilya Samsonov, and Petr Mrazek are just three names that come to mind when thinking about goaltenders who haven’t lived up to expectations after they joined the Maple Leafs. Samsonov still plays on the team, Mrazek was traded to the Chicago Blackhawks where he has revived his career as an NHL goaltender, and Murray is out with an injury and on the Long Term Injured Reserve but is still owned by the Maple Leafs. A team as strong on paper as the Maple Leafs shouldn’t be fighting to keep themselves in a playoff spot like they are, but rather should be dominating their division.
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The Maple Leafs have one of the most loyal fanbases in the entire NHL and have proven that they remain in win-now mod by making several trades and signings in hopes of making a run for the Stanley Cup. The team has brought in Mark Giordano, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Max Domi to bolster their lineup, and even signed Ryan Reaves to counter the argument that the team lacked consistent physicality. While most of these moves have benefited them, the team still has a question mark between the pipes as nobody within their system has proven to be a consistent starter at the NHL level.
A story came out recently from John Shannon on the Bob McCown Podcast in which he references a failed 2022 trade between the Maple Leafs and Blackhawks which would have sent legendary goaltender Marc-Andre Fleury to the Maple Leafs in exchange for Mrazek, Matthew Knies, and multiple first-round picks. In the podcast, he mentions that while the deal could have had some steam, it was vetoed by Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan. As Darren Dreger had stated in his tweet, the deal never got to a stage where Fleury was asked to waive his no-trade clause.
While Mrazek ended up being traded to the Blackhawks anyway, the Maple Leafs have to be happy they decided to hang on to Knies. While he was unproven at the time, he has since become a solid top-nine forward and has been able to provide solid offensive production as a young gun while also playing well in the defensive end.
Shanahan Was Right To Veto Deal
While Fleury may have helped the Maple Leafs in the short term, Knies seems to be a future star who can help the Maple Leafs for the foreseeable future and lead them to success. Since making his NHL debut with the team at the end of the 2022-23 season, Knies has scored eight goals and added 10 assists for 18 points through 43 games. This season, Knies is on pace to score 15 goals and add 17 assists for 32 points through 80 games. With this being his first full season, his production is exactly what the Maple Leafs have asked for and with his defensive skill, he has solidified himself as a mainstay at the NHL level for many seasons to come.
Fleury could have been good with the Maple Leafs and he may have even considered re-signing with them, but doesn’t have much time left before his retirement as he’s now 39 years old. For the Maple Leafs to consider trading Mrazek, Knies and multiple first-round picks in exchange for someone who may not have stayed with the team past one season and isn’t quite as strong as he once was, Shanahan was right to veto this deal and invest in Knies.
What Can The Maple Leafs Do For Their Goaltending Situation?
There are plenty of goaltenders available around the NHL, but will all cost quite a bit to bring in. The Maple Leafs are in a situation where they have to decide soon whether they’re going to buy and go all-in as we head towards the Trade Deadline or if they’re going to hope for the best with their current tandem of Samsonov and Martin Jones. Both have been good lately, but aren’t the most trusted goaltenders by any means.
The Nashville Predators have Juuse Saros, who would cost a lot more than what the Maple Leafs had offered for Fleury, so I wouldn’t bank on them going after him. The San Jose Sharks could consider moving both Kaapo Kahkonen and Mackenzie Blackwood who have been good, and likely wouldn’t commands as much of a return. There are more rebuilding teams who may consider moving their goaltenders, but the Maple Leafs will have to pay up if they hope to upgrade.
We are under two months away from the 2024 Trade Deadline and many teams will be deciding on what is in their future, and the Maple Leafs are no exception: they need to decide quickly and choose what moves they’re going to be making or trying to make. If the Minnesota Wild — who Fleury plays for now — aren’t in a playoff spot and Fleury becomes available again, the Maple Leafs should be interested again, just not for as much as they offered the first time around.