{"id":117405,"date":"2021-08-23T07:30:46","date_gmt":"2021-08-23T11:30:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/?p=117405"},"modified":"2021-08-23T07:10:47","modified_gmt":"2021-08-23T11:10:47","slug":"toronto-maple-leafs-goaltending-campbell-mrazek","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2021\/08\/23\/toronto-maple-leafs-goaltending-campbell-mrazek\/","title":{"rendered":"Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending: Campbell And Mrazek Need to Shine"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The crease has been an area of concern in Toronto for a while. In fact, the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending pool remains a contentious topic amongst the club\u2019s fanbase even after the departure of <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/a\/anderfr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Frederik Andersen<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Although the Dane\u2019s time with the Maple Leafs started brightly, the 31-year-old\u2019s stint in the Six ended in disappointing fashion. As noted by <em>JFreshHockey<\/em>, Andersen\u2019s shot-stopping prowess took a turn for the worse during his spell in Toronto, with his decline paving the way for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/c\/campbja01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Jack Campbell<\/a>\u2019s emergence as a prospective NHL netminder.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">The rise and fall of Frederik Andersen&#39;s tenure with the Leafs, illustrated with cumulative goals saved above expected. <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/hashtag\/LeafsForever?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">#LeafsForever<\/a> <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/O3ckupleGd\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">pic.twitter.com\/O3ckupleGd<\/a><\/p>\n<p>&mdash; JFresh (@JFreshHockey) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/JFreshHockey\/status\/1392655322154770435?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">May 13, 2021<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script async src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script><\/p>\n<p>In Andersen\u2019s case, the numbers don\u2019t lie. After a rocky start to life with the Leafs, he played a key role in backstopping <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/matthau01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Auston Matthews<\/a>, then in his rookie year, to the postseason in 2016-17. Two strong seasons followed\u2026 and then Andersen\u2019s form fell off a proverbial cliff.<\/p>\n<p>However, it is during the playoffs that the Leafs\u2019 goaltending has let them down most damagingly. Since returning to the promised land five years ago (by which I refer to <em>the first round)<\/em>, Toronto\u2019s netminders have been routinely outperformed by their counterparts. Remarkably, Campbell\u2019s t\u00eate-\u00e0-t\u00eate with <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/p\/priceca01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Carey Price<\/a> might be the exception to the rule.<\/p>\n<p>Which brings us along to the current day.<\/p>\n<p>With general manager Kyle Dubas offering <em>this <\/em>version of the Maple Leafs one last chance to make amends in the playoffs, the pressure is on Campbell and new arrival <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/m\/mrazepe01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Petr Mrazek<\/a> ($4 million AAV) to lift Toronto\u2019s postseason curse. Plainly, a massive season awaits both goalies; are they ready?<\/p>\n<h2><strong>Assessing Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending Depth Chart<\/strong><\/h2>\n<p>Before assessing Toronto\u2019s <em>actual <\/em>tandem for the 2021-22 campaign, it\u2019s worth considering whether the Leafs were right to make the moves they did earlier this summer.<\/p>\n<p>Dubas had to pick between three methods of rebranding the Leafs\u2019 goaltending pool.<\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Don\u2019t change anything, bring back Freddie Andersen in the hope\/expectation that he rebounds<\/li>\n<li>Spend Andersen-like cap space on a replacement number-one goalie<\/li>\n<li>Recruit a tandem guy to play alongside fan favourite Campbell<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Evidently, the Leafs\u2019 front office went with the final option and decided to spend Andersen\u2019s cash on <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/b\/buntimi01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Michael Bunting<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/r\/ritchni01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nick Ritchie<\/a>. That leaves options one and two on the table.<\/p>\n<p>Well, the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/category\/hurricanes\/\" target=\"_self\">Carolina Hurricanes<\/a> have bet on Andersen having an Indian summer, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2021\/07\/28\/report-frederik-andersen-joins-carolina-hurricanes\/4\" target=\"_self\">handing him a two-year deal worth $4.5 million against the cap<\/a>. Based on the trajectory of the Dane\u2019s age curve, the Leafs won\u2019t regret letting him walk.<\/p>\n<p>But should Toronto have invested in a franchise goalie? <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/f\/fleurma01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Marc-Andre Fleury<\/a> was available, as were <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/g\/grubaph01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Philipp Grubauer<\/a> and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/kuempda01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Darcy Kuemper<\/a>.<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Flower, Grubi, or Darcy<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2021\/08\/01\/marc-andre-fleury-reporting-to-chicago-blackhawks\/\" target=\"_self\">Let\u2019s start with the Chicago Blackhawks\u2019 newly-recruited Vezina Trophy-winning goalie<\/a>, 36-year-old Fleury. The Canadian left Nevada on sour terms as part of a salary dumping trade that saw prospect Mikael Hakkarainen (who has since been unconditionally waived) move in the opposite direction. Could the Leafs have offered Vegas a similar package for Fleury? Yes. Would Toronto have been able to afford Fleury\u2019s $7 million AAV? No, so we\u2019ll move on.<\/p>\n<p>Grubauer, meanwhile, swapped Colorado for Seattle via free agency. <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2021\/07\/28\/ufa-philipp-grubauer-signed-kraken\/\" target=\"_self\">The German will earn $35.4 million over the course of his six-year deal<\/a>, which will cost the Kraken $5.9 million against the cap. Like Fleury, Grubauer has outperformed Andersen over recent years. However, he also proved to be too expensive for the Leafs, who opted to reallocate goalie funds in an attempt to cover the loss of forward <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/h\/hymanza01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Zach Hyman<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Which leaves <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/kuempda01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Darcy Kuemper<\/a>, who was traded by the <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/category\/coyotes\/\" target=\"_self\">Arizona Coyotes<\/a> to the<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/category\/avalanche\/\" target=\"_self\"> Colorado Avalanche<\/a> in exchange for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/t\/timmico01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Conor Timmins<\/a>, a 2022 first-round pick, and a conditional third-rounder to come in 2024. As part of the deal, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2021\/07\/28\/colorado-avalanche-darcy-kuemper-trade\/\" target=\"_self\">Arizona agreed to retain $1 million of the 6\u2019-5\u201d Canadian\u2019s salary<\/a>, meaning he will cost the Avs $3.5 million in cap space.<\/p>\n<p>On Kuemper, there are two questions to ask. First, were the Leafs in a position to trade another first-round pick? No, especially after their ill-fated move for <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/f\/foligni01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Nick Foligno<\/a> at last year\u2019s deadline. Second, is Kuemper enough of an upgrade on Mrazek to justify making an expensive trade? Possibly not.<\/p>\n<p>The Leafs, then, don\u2019t appear to have dropped the ball in opting for Mrazek over a flashier alternative. But where does that leave Toronto heading into 2021-22?<\/p>\n<h3><strong>Jack and Petr: a Match Made in Heaven<\/strong><\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s no secret that Leafs nation is infatuated with Campbell (who comes in at $1.65 million against the cap). Understandably so.<\/p>\n<p>Through 2020-21, the former 11<sup>th<\/sup> overall pick won 17 games in regular-season, several of them while standing on his head, and <em>improved <\/em>during the playoffs. Although Campbell\u2019s .934 post-season save percentage wasn\u2019t enough to get Toronto over the hump versus the Habs, it does suggest that his earlier form could be sustainable.<\/p>\n<p>In other words, the Michigan native\u2019s positive reputation is deserved.<\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2021\/07\/28\/ufa-petr-mrazek-signs-maple-leafs\/\" target=\"_self\">What about Mrazek<\/a>? Well, he, like his partner in the crease, enters the season aged 29. And the Mrazek-Campbell parallels don\u2019t end there, <a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/2021\/02\/03\/carolina-hurricanes-petr-mrazek-undergoes-surgery\/\" target=\"_self\">the Czech goalie also appeared in fewer than 30 regular-season contests last term and was hampered by injuries<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>That Mrazek is an inch shorter and seven pounds lighter than Campbell is fitting. He\u2019s expected to start the season as the junior member of the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending tandem.<\/p>\n<p>Speaking of which, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.nhl.com\/mapleleafs\/schedule\/2019-10-01\/ET\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Toronto will play four games in six days to open the new campaign<\/a>. In October, the furthest <a href=\"https:\/\/www.hockey-reference.com\/players\/k\/keefesh01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&amp;utm_source=direct&amp;utm_medium=linker-\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Sheldon Keefe<\/a> and Company will travel is to North Carolina to face the Hurricanes. The Leafs\u2019 first game on the West Coast is against the<a href=\"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/category\/kings\/\" target=\"_self\"> Los Angeles Kings<\/a> on November 24th.<\/p>\n<p>Put another way, Campbell and Mrazek have been handed a relatively kind start to the season. It&#8217;s time to make hay when the sun shines.<\/p>\n<p>We won\u2019t know until we <em>know <\/em>(which means waiting until the playoffs) \u2013 but it looks like the Toronto Maple Leafs have got their reshuffle between the pipes right. Campbell-Mrazek might just work.<\/p>\n<p>[pickup_prop id=&#8221;9758&#8243;]<\/p>\n<p>Main Photo:<\/p>\n<p><a id=\"6Wn5Tno_Qt5UwdFERR3Yfg\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1205619587\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'6Wn5Tno_Qt5UwdFERR3Yfg',sig:'Qf8OAb2f364o-JARPnCmybopZWjqWEd_r4KhLkJ5GG4=',w:'475px',h:'594px',items:'1205619587',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n<p><a id=\"jKAbYjinT1RPJQGkZTJ5cA\" class=\"gie-single\" style=\"color: #a7a7a7; text-decoration: none; font-weight: normal !important; border: none; display: inline-block;\" href=\"http:\/\/www.gettyimages.com\/detail\/1299289676\" target=\"_blank\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">Embed from Getty Images<\/a><script>window.gie=window.gie||function(c){(gie.q=gie.q||[]).push(c)};gie(function(){gie.widgets.load({id:'jKAbYjinT1RPJQGkZTJ5cA',sig:'IJoroH68bR-pUbX6TZGxexmS4Y6veWN6A5OHjZHuhCw=',w:'453px',h:'594px',items:'1299289676',caption: true ,tld:'com',is360: false })});<\/script><script src='\/\/embed-cdn.gettyimages.com\/widgets.js' charset='utf-8' async><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The crease has been an area of concern in Toronto for a while. In fact, the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending pool remains a contentious topic amongst the club\u2019s fanbase even after the departure of Frederik Andersen. Although the Dane\u2019s time with the Maple Leafs started brightly, the 31-year-old\u2019s stint in the Six ended in disappointing [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3778,"featured_media":117515,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4547,4548,18],"tags":[2923,6564,619,6472],"class_list":["post-117405","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hockey","category-nhl","category-leafs","tag-jack-campbell","tag-leafs-featured","tag-petr-mrazek","tag-toronto-maple-leafs-goaltending"],"modified_by":"William Grigsby","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117405","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3778"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=117405"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/117405\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/117515"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=117405"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=117405"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/hockey\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=117405"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}