From what I've seen of Merzlikins thus far, he's an emotional goaltender and an outspoken one whose played the majority of his career on a team that can't quite seem to get its shit together. Sounds like someone who'd thrive in a pressure cooker market like Toronto.Well for one there are rumors of having attitude issues and entitlement issues. I've read Jackets fans talking about him being a locker room cancer. Now add in that even if he was a slightly better Samsonov, that player at a 5.4 cap hit is roster crippling for our cap structure.
If the money was being allocated it would be for a sure thing. If a sure thing can't happen this year, they will save cap there and see if Woll is legit and re-evaluate at the TDL if needed. Doing this will let them sign 2 4-7M Dmen depending on what is out there
You keep mentioning this 'sure thing' like it's something that exists. Goaltenders are the complete opposite of a sure thing. Because it's a position that's heavily impacted by the quality of the team in front of it.
With Joe Woll, they're not in a position where they need a 1A. That 'sure thing' your talking about is a guy who'd take any future opportunity away from him. What the Leafs should be looking for is another mid range starter with the ability to take the reins should things go awry.