NHL Insider Sees Maple Leafs Target 2 Veteran Goaltenders – Hockey Writers –

On the latest episode of The Chris Johnston Show, Chris Johnston and Julian McKenzie discussed the Toronto Maple Leafs after another first round exit at the hands of the Boston Bruins.

When discussing the team’s mission, Johnston outlined Joseph Woll’s injury history and how the organization will look at his training and his body to see how to minimize injuries going forward. McKenzie then asked, “Do you think the Leafs will still trust him enough to be the starter next year? Do you see them saying, ‘Hey, let’s get a new season veteran to work with him?'”

Johnston quickly replied, “I think they probably got two veterans; that would be my calculation. I mean, [Ilya] Samsonov, Martin Jones, and Matt Murray are all pending UFAs. Now it is possible that one of those players is back; it’s too early to say one way or the other that way, but I’d imagine they sign at least two veteran goaltenders for some NHL record. One of them will be illegally placed in third place.”

Related: Morgan Rielly Gives an Honest Assessment of Maple Leaves in an Exit Interview

This caught the attention of Leafs Nation because, although they have the “number one,” they don’t have a top goaltender like the New York Rangers or Bruins. The market for goalkeepers is weak this off-season, so we will see who they intend to bring in to form part of the trio with Woll.

Top goals are available this summer

Cam Talbot:

Talbot spent last season with the Los Angeles Kings. He is coming off a one-year contract with an Average Annual Value (AAV) of $1 million. Statistically, he is the best goalkeeper set to hit the market; he had a 27-20-3 record, a 2.50 goals against average (GAA) and a .913 save percentage (SV%). The Maple Leafs could offer AVV a one-year deal worth around $1.5 million.

Scott Wedgewood:

Wedgewood is unlikely to leave the Dallas Stars; however, if he does, he’s a perfect NHL backup option. He has shown this for the Stars before, especially this season where he had a 16-7-0 record with a 2.85 GAA and .899 SV%. Wedgewood is 31 years old and may want a longer-term contract than just one year. For that, the Maple Leafs can offer him a second year at the same AAV of $1 million.

Laurent Brossoit:

Brossoit is in the same area as Wedgewood; it is unlikely that he will leave the Winnipeg Jets as they are the next closest option for a backup goaltender. Brossoit has Stanley Cup experience with the Vegas Golden Knights and has backed up one of the best goaltenders in the NHL, Connor Hellebuyck. He might be the best option for the Maple Leafs when he hits the open market because of what he learned from Hellebuyck. He had a 15-5-3 record with a 2.00 GAA and a .927 SV%, which would bode well for a backup to Woll. The Maple Leafs could offer him some space in the two-year range at an AAV of $2 million.