After a lackluster start to the 2021-22 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have gone on a tear. The team has won five games in a row and currently boasts a 17-6-1 record, which is good for the top spot in the Atlantic Division. While both their offence and defence have been solid to start, the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending has propelled them over the top and made their recent win streak possible.
Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending Vital to Team’s Success
With the mixed-emotions departure of long-time netminder Frederik Andersen this past offseason, the Leafs had a bit of a question mark in net. Jack Campbell was coming off a phenomenal season for the team but had never been the true starting goal at the NHL level. He also had injury concerns and needed a solid partner for him to share the net. The Leafs made a splash by signing Petr Mrazek to a three-year contract. The Czech goalie had been great in recent years but missed several games at a time due to injury in his past few seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes.
With Campbell and Mrazek destined to split the net this season, Leafs fans relaxed a bit knowing that they had two capable goalies patrolling the crease. Disaster struck early on in the season when Mrazek suffered a groin injury during his season debut for the Leafs. Campbell remained strong during his absence, but needed a partner to share the workload. Mrazek returned several weeks later but unfortunately reaggravated his injury in his return. He is currently still injured and looks to return shortly for the team.
With Mrazek out, head coach Sheldon Keefe turned to rookie goalie Joseph Woll to play some games and take some of the load off of Campbell’s back. Woll, a former third-round draft pick of the Leafs, has been excellent so far. In the three games that he has played in he has posted a 1.67 goals-against-average and a .939 save percentage over that span. Woll has appeared to gain the trust of Keefe and has solved the Leafs’ goaltending situation for now. The team does not have to rush Mrazek back into action as they know Woll can step up if need be.
Jack Campbell’s Emergence as a Premier NHL Goaltender
While Woll has been excellent in his starts for the Leafs, their true savior in net has been Jack Campbell. He has proved that his success from last season was not a fluke and has been terrific to start the season for the Leafs. To start the season, Campbell has gone 13-4 with a Vezina-caliber 1.72 GAA and a .943 save percentage. Any injury concerns with Campbell have been forgotten as he has started in almost all of the Leafs’ games and has remained healthy all season long.
The Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending Future
In the short-term, the Leafs will need any combination of Campbell, Mrazek, and Woll to be solid in net this season. The Leafs have the offence and defence to win games, but will need goaltending to secure wins. This is a team with Stanley Cup hopes, and stellar goaltending is what will help to get them there.
In the long-term, the Leafs will need to re-sign Jack Campbell. He is currently on an expiring contract with an AAV of $1.65 million. Assuming he keeps up with his current play, he is in a for a huge pay day this offseason. The Leafs’ management should make re-signing him a top priority as he has had a sensational effect on the team both on and off the ice.
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