Sparks isn’t an NHL caliber goalie.
McElhinney is a great backup goalie possibly good enough to be a starter on most basement/struggling teams.
I’m a goalie and I can recognize Sparks’ lack of confidence and poor save selection, how he seems to panic on simple plays.
Whereas McElhinney exudes more confidence, he plays with something to prove, like he is trying to steal the starting position or at least play every game likeits his last. He is calm and his save selection is upper tier. Recall his save of the season when he robbed Sidney Crosby.
He's never been that good. Even when he was on the Leafs, he never looked that good.
I think people are quick to forget that McElhinney wasn't exactly as good as his numbers suggested. He provided a lot of nerve-wracking outings himself, and did not look like a goalie who should have had more than 15-20 games a season.
He's playing team which makes Mrazek look like a semi-respectable starter, which he has not shown since Detroit was a semi-respectable team 3 or 4 years ago. McElhinney has been up-and-down all season and with how inconsistent our defensive efforts have been (especially in front of Sparks), he could have easily been a sub .900 goalie. At the very least, he wouldn't be posting much better than Sparks (which he already isn't now).
Sparks was, and always will be, worth the risk. His play at the AHL level was spectacular and although he has not converted all of it in his first full season in the NHL, there is nothing stopping him from doing it. He has the technique and ability to be a great NHL goalie. That upside is always worth more than betting on an easily replaceable, 35 year old, often inconsistent and mediocre backup, regardless of what the numbers say.
Sparks need to adjust to the NHL level and let the mental game catch up to him. With a full season and a summer where he can focus on that adjustment more than outplaying other guys, I like the odds of him being able to make those mental adjustments (just like he was able to make them in the AHL). If he doesn't, then his contract expires and it's not hard to find a decent backup goalie for cheap until Woll/Scott are ready. Even if Sparks does well that may be the case, since we cannot afford him if he prices himself out.
Maybe for next year, the Leafs will trade Kaskisuo and keep Hutchinson on hand as a 3rd goalie so you can swap them if Sparks sucks.