I Am The Stig
SPACESHIP!!
- Oct 19, 2011
- 2,516
- 30
I will go with option #3 - acquire via trade.
My first choice would be Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy.
Proven legitimate #1 goaltenders rarely get traded, it's a fact. The only goaltenders in recent memory who was traded who had proven himself to be legitimate #1 goaltenders was Ryan Miller and Roberto Luongo, and in the case of Miller, his play fell off a cliff shortly thereafter. Sure, you can find guys like Niemi, Halak, or Hiller every offseason if you want to, but they're not an improvement on what we currently have are they? Hell, even when Lou Lamoriello traded for Schneider he had a career high of 33 games played in a season. Easy to say in hindsight it was a great move, but at the time it was a very questionable move and Schneider himself had a lot of questions surrounding him.
Count me in as someone who isn't interested in giving up assets for a low-tier starter like those mentioned above.
We all have seen enough of both Reimer and Bernier and I have come to the conclusion that we do need a legit # 1 goalie
What's your take on it
Do we need a starting goalie and why?
Just what, exactly, are you trying to ask?
Thread title: "Is goaltending a real concern for the Leafs?"
Question in OP: "Do we need a starting goalie and why?"
Poll question: "Should we draft / sign a free agent or make a trade?"
Those are three wildly different questions.
Wait. We got two ok goalies signed up already. And we got Bibeau and even Sparks with the Marlies. And you can most often find a good goalie in a trade or FA.
When was the last time a good goalie got traded, and then, that goalie went on to win the cup?
None of the four goalies right now is capable of being a NHL starter for a playoff team.
Goaltending certainly isn't an organizational strength right now...but neither are our forwards or defence.
We have to prioritize things.
Center and defence have to come first.