The goaltender situation for the Toronto Maple Leafs remains dire.
It’s an emergency because the Toronto Maple Leafs risk missing the playoffs if they don’t resolve this issue right away.
Because Joseph Woll is a rookie who is prone to injuries and has only played in roughly one season’s worth of games over the previous three years, the Leafs cannot simply sit back and rely on him. Because Samsonov is awful, they cannot trust him.
They also can’t keep depending on Martin Jones because of how awful he is. Despite his impressive run that might have saved the season, he is not a good goalie. His save % hasn’t been above.900 in five years, and he’s getting old.
The Leafs’ record since Joseph Woll’s injury is 9-7-4.
With it, they tie Montreal, Columbus, and Buffalo for the same record over the previous 20 games, placing them in 18th place in the NHL.
And in order to achieve that record, they had to defeat four awful teams in a row (actually, two awful teams, one of them twice, and a third club that was losing nine out of 10 games when the Leafs defeated them).
I believe everyone can agree that the only things keeping the Leafs from going to disaster mode have been a flexible schedule and an unusual Martin Jones hot run.
It’s almost like Brad Treliving is abdicating his responsibilities by not doing anything to support this squad during this time.
As of right now, the Leafs are without an NHL goalie. Martin Jones has played four games after his improbable hot streak, is 1-3, and has a very respectable.882 save percentage.
He is experiencing regression, and it is happening quickly. The Leafs did not lose him on waivers because he was not an NHL goalie when he was signed. Unless the Leafs pull off a deal, he is not a strong NHL goalie right now, and the season rests on him.
The Leafs have been without an NHL goalie for almost a quarter of the season, which is a complete farce. The Red Wings and Lightning are closing in quickly, while the Panthers and Bruins are fleeing.
In the standings right now, the Leafs are ahead of the Boston Bruins and the Montreal Canadiens.
While Joseph Woll is on the road, how good will he be upon his return? By the time he returns, he will have been away for about two months, making him a rookie. Martin Jones isn’t an answer, and he isn’t either.
You can’t waste a year of Matthews’ peak, even when dealing for a goalkeeper with a term and a big contract makes things more difficult the next season. The obvious solution is to trade for Jordan Binnington, but any NHL-caliber goalkeeper would be an improvement over the Leafs’ current starter right now.