Thankfully, Toronto Maple Leafs General Manager Brian Burke isn't afraid of making tough decisions, because the solution to the team's goaltending woes will take quite a bit of tinkering.
Maple Leafs Trades and Signings
In the summer of 2009, the Leafs went out and signed undrafted goalie Jonas Gustavsson from Sweden. The 25-year-old was said to be the best goalie not in the NHL, therefore he is brimming with potential upside. The other goalie the Leafs currently have on the roster is Vesa Toskala, who has been nothing short of a disaster. The fact that he keeps getting starts points to the Leafs desire to showcase him in hopes of trading him. But every other GM in the NHL has seen enough of Toskala to know he is inconsistent at best, and not a legit number one netminder. Therefore, the Leafs need to play Gustavsson in virtually every game to see if this kid is for real.
While he is considered a rookie, he is still 25, which means he won't be given as much slack as a 20-year-old. His time is now. The Leafs have two choices when it comes to Gustavsson. Sign him, or trade him. Either way, they need to play him as much as possible. Number one goalies aren't just floating around, and Toronto doesn't have any NHL ready prospects, therefore if Gustvasson is the guy, they need to find out quick. His contract will expire in the summer of 2010 if he isn't resigned.
Any Goalies out There?
While NHL quality goaltenders aren't usually on the market, there are a few that have the potential to help the Leafs. For example, the New York Islanders currently have three number one goalies on their team. Franchise goalie Rick DiPietro isn't going anywhere, and back-up Dwayne Roloson is 40 years old. That leaves former number one Martin Biron. While there are still question marks surrounding Biron, he is experienced and has shown flashes of brilliance.
Another option would be Jose Theodore, a former Vezina and Hart Trophy winner. His team, the Washington Capitals, have two young goalies they are very high on, and Theo seems to be the odd man out. The only problem with this scenario is that Theodore comes with a hefty price tag. No doubt Washington wouldn't ask for much to dump Theodore's salary, but the Leafs would have to take on an expensive contract.
Probably the most interesting option would be to pry young netminder Jaroslav Halak away from the Montreal Canadiens, as he is an RFA in the summer. They already have a franchise goalie in Carey Price, but Halak absolutely has the skills to be a number one in this league. Toronto could sign him to an offer sheet in hopes of gaining his services.
Patience is a Virtue
Obviously, the Leafs could make a few trades to pull in a starting goaltender, but they are extremely thin on talent, and trading away more valuable pieces would set them back even further. But much to the displeasure of Leafs fans, the rebuilding process is going to take a long time, and require a lot of patience. Unfortunately, the fans are desperate to see their team in the playoffs, and without solid goaltending, that just isn't going to happen.
Marcia Di Michele - In addition to Suite101, Marcy is also a writer for TheHockeyWriters.com and blogs for Sports Illustrated's Fannation page. Marcy has been ...
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