He's been inconsistent since Covid. Using a small sample size this year mostly proves he can be effective as long as his workload isn't too heavy (which would explain his mediocrity at best in these playoffs). Being a Masterson finalist has nothing to do with his numbers so much as what he'd overcome so using that as a barometer of any sort outside of his dedication to the sport is asinine.
I repeat — since COVID, he is top-10 in save %.
Not over a quarter season, not over a half season, not over a full season… we’re talking
four seasons. That body of work renders sample size arguments meaningless.
If the above still isn’t enough, consider that over the past
ten seasons, the list of goalies who have played 400+ games reads like this:
1. Tuukka Rask .919
2. Carey Price .918
3. Semyon Varlamov .917
Connor Hellebuyck .917
Andrei Vasilevskiy .917
6. Fredrik Andersen .916
Freddie Andersen’s biggest problem isn’t Freddie Andersen. It’s that a whole lot of people saw him fail to win with the Maple Leafs, and that has set a narrative in stone regardless of his actual performance. If being 6th over the course of his decade-long career, and 9th during the current era, doesn’t solidify him as a top-10 goalie in those people’s minds, then that’s an issue with them and not with him.