Goalies are always a hot commodity in the NHL and the early portion of this offseason has seen a flurry of netminder trades. The deal that sent Jacob Markstrom from the Calgary Flames to the New Jersey Devils earned plenty of headlines. The Toronto Maple Leafs also heavily pursued the veteran goaltender, ultimately falling short despite a solid offer.
The Leafs were reportedly runners-up in the Markstrom sweepstakes as the 34-year-old was shipped to the Devils for a 2025 first-round pick on June 19. Toronto did offer a first-round pick in this year's draft, at minimum, sources told The Athletic. Some might have considered Toronto's offer better than New Jersey's but Calgary accepted the Devils' offer.
The Leafs were rightfully aggressive in their pursuit of Markstrom, a surefire No. 1 goalie. They showed their hand though and might have cost themselves a chance at trading for a viable goalie.
Toronto does seem content with Joseph Woll being their netminder of the future and recently agreed to terms on a three-year contract with the 25-year-old. The Maple Leafs do want to add another goaltender though to give them options if Woll's leash needs to be shortened next season.
He's made only 36 regular-season starts and seven more in the playoffs so Toronto might be cautious with him over the next year or two. If he pans out the way they expect him to, there's no need to acquire another long-term goalie.
A tandem for the 2024-25 season makes sense but it's now unlikely the Leafs use a first-round pick in a trade for a goalie.
Maple Leafs looking for any way to improve
Another heartbreaking playoff exit has the Maple Leafs rethinking and retooling their roster. This weekend's draft presents an opportunity to make some impact moves and change the trajectory of the franchise.
In his second offseason as general manager, Brad Treliving is ready to reshape Toronto's personnel. Don’t be surprised if the Leafs are a busy team in free agency, which begins on July 1.
Toronto could turn to the open market to solve their goalie situation. Among the free agents available are Anthony Stolarz, Laurent Brossoit and Cam Talbot. None of those names jump out at you, but they could all be a solid 1B to Woll's 1A next season.
The Leafs have plenty of questions regarding the roster. There is some room to work with regarding the salary cap, but the biggest decision will be the future of Mitch Marner. An over point per game player for his career, Marner is entering the final year of his contract and will attract big-time offers if he hits free agency.
The Leafs could look to extend his contract this summer, but if they don’t like the price Marner wants, Toronto could be forced to shop the 27-year-old. Following an 85-point regular season in which he missed 13 games, Marner fell off a wagon in the playoffs, registering three points in seven games.
Will that mess with his stability or can Marner return to being a 30-goal scorer? The Maple Leafs have to know it's worth it for the amount of money Marner will demand.
Outside of that, significant changes could be coming to Toronto as they try to become a championship contender. A new head coach and a revamped roster isn’t always the right recipe, but the Leafs already have some pieces in place to win a Stanley Cup. This is a big summer for the Maple Leaf franchise.
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