Take Town: Big trouble for several teams?

I don’t want to get too deep into the weeds here when it comes to the Toronto Maple Leafs’ goalie situation, but suffice it to say that things have gone sour.

The gamble to sign Petr Mrázek was a good one; he has enjoyed multiple seasons as an above-average goaltender in this league, including each of the last three seasons. 

It should be said, however, that in hindsight we can probably assume that the Hurricanes’ system under Rod Brind'Amour benefits goalies to a greater extent than we might realize. If Alex Nedeljkovic and Mrazek struggle this season after standing out last year, and the opposite is true of Frederik Andersen and Antti Raanta, and the common denominator is going from or to the Hurricanes, then there’s some evidence there and it’s at least worth thinking about.

But given the Maple Leafs’ position in the standings and the dire need to have some postseason success, and the ongoing injury situation with Jack Campbell (himself a good bet to perform this season who, for whatever reason, has instead been bad) makes this untenable.

Not that the Leafs are in danger of dropping out of a playoff spot, but their lead over the Boston Bruins that felt like it was insurmountable only two weeks ago is now quickly evaporating. And with Campbell on the shelf for the foreseeable future, they cannot afford to give away too many points, not only because the Bruins could pass them, but also before the entire team loses its mind after another 5-3 loss on which the goalie would “like that one back” on at least two of the goals.

There is no choice here. The Leafs must acquire a goaltender. And preferably one who’s actually good.

Let’s go:{