Speculation: How do you handle Toronto's goalie situation?

Which tendem would you like to see next season?


  • Total voters
    139
  • Poll closed .

Face Of Bear

Registered User
Jul 30, 2012
2,029
1,161
Mcelhinney shut the door real good last night after Sparks let in some softies early against an AHL caliber team. I'm rooting for Sparks because he's young and might time up well with taking the reins when Andersens contract expires in 3 years. I'd hate it if we couldn't re-sign Andsersen and Sparks was killing it for another team. But Mcelhinney looks like he might be the better back up for this season, so it's a tough call either way.
 

pucksakes666

Registered User
Mar 8, 2018
661
289
Mac should be kept as the back up goalie starting this season, he played great last season when needed. Might need the depth to this season given Anderson's injury history.
 

Ratboy

I made a funny!
Jul 15, 2009
16,855
3,343
McBackup has given us two seasons of good to great backup play. He's earned the right to keep proving he can do it and he looked great last night. A proven track record wins out over the mystery box.

Sorry Sparks.
 

nuck

Schrodingers Cat
Aug 18, 2005
11,340
2,422
Sparks if he shows anything at all. Some people are vilifying him based on the 17 game freefall of 15-16. Look at that scrub lineup. They traded their captain and both goalies, and 45pts led them in scoring. The Leafs had zero interest in him succeeding, the tank was on. This years club is infinitely better in every area, and they can pick his spots to play, rather than throw him out every night like last time around.

Last night's game was weak, but still just one game. If he keeps repeating it he's likely screwed of course, but McElhinney is a career .909 goalie, not .934, who is now 35 so his time is drawing to a close. Whether they win 11 of 18 backup starts or 9 they are still a playoff club, and CM is not a guy who can carry them through the playoffs if Andersen goes down. Sparks potential long term value (CM has none) is why you keep him, not necessarily for this year

I might still roll with McElhinney this season if Sparks could be mothballed, but in two years at most they would be combing through the Enroths, and MacDonalds and MacIntyres for someone new. There is a chance they go with Sparks and he rewards them with an .890 s% but there is obviously one with CM too.
 

Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
40,975
32,364
St. Paul, MN
Have a feeling Babcock would prefer McBackup but still don’t think Dubas will opt to keep him over Sparks.

Asset management, is eager, will win out over short term needs/wants.
 

sxvnert

Registered User
Nov 23, 2015
11,023
6,033
McBackup is the only sane choice for Babs since we're not in a complete rebuild anymore. Neither Pickard or Sparks are phenoms in waiting and are mediocre at best.
Move Pickard and Sparks in a prospects dump for other prospects/picks if possible.
 
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sxvnert

Registered User
Nov 23, 2015
11,023
6,033
Have a feeling Babcock would prefer McBackup but still don’t think Dubas will opt to keep him over Sparks.

Asset management, is eager, will win out over short term needs/wants.
He will if Babs chooses McBackup.
If Dubas is dumb enough to trade McBackup and Sparks flops during his 20 games the leafs won't qualify for the playoffs or barely crack 8th. The blame will rest all on Dubas and no one else for making that move.
mcb.png

Can't ask for more than that from a backup.
 
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Drytoast

Registered User
Sep 27, 2017
6,334
4,498
Sparks just got outplayed by McBackup...soooo looks like he's gonna get traded.
 

Menzinger

Kessel4LadyByng
Apr 24, 2014
40,975
32,364
St. Paul, MN
He will if Babs chooses McBackup.
If Dubas is dumb enough to trade McBackup and Sparks flops during his 20 games the leafs won't qualify for the playoffs or barely crack 8th. The blame will rest all on Dubas and no one else for making that move.
View attachment 141479
Can't ask for more than that from a backup.

McBackup has never shown that type of consistent play at any other point in his career. I don’t think it’s realistic to expect him to play that way this year. And if we do we may be setting ourselves up for disappointment.

So far Dubas hasn’t been afraid to let some of Babcocks guys go (ie Polak, Leo). And given how awful the Leafs division will be this season I’d say there’s less risk if Sparks doesn’t live up to expectations
 

luvdahattymatty

Registered User
Apr 8, 2018
511
405
It was a good run Sparkie. I hope you get another chance with an nhl team this year. Really nice kid. Now we'll see of Dubie can get a decent pick for him next week.
 

pucky

Registered User
Jan 11, 2011
8,079
172
Sparks was overrated. Dubas should let Picard see what he can do - and give him a chance to compete with McBackup for the 2nd goalie.
 
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GodEmperor

Registered User
Oct 12, 2017
2,919
3,168
Biggest concern with Sparks is his sloppy movement, i.e the goal where he fell over typifies how weak and slow he is on his skates.

I don't think goalies like him do well, Lehner has similar issues (beyond his mental problems) in that he at times is also sloppy, but I think he on the whole is better than Sparks.

If you look at goalies who have performed well in the AHL and won awards, it's hardly some excellent metric of translation, 2/18 are what I would consider good-excellent starters in their prime (Miller/Murray) and the rest of the award winners for best goalie have been extremely meh to complete non factors.

I'd rather go with Mac and I'm confident if he falls off in a year or two that Pickard will be more than fine as the backup.
 

Ratboy

I made a funny!
Jul 15, 2009
16,855
3,343
McBackup has never shown that type of consistent play at any other point in his career. I don’t think it’s realistic to expect him to play that way this year. And if we do we may be setting ourselves up for disappointment.

What are you on about ? McBackup has done just about everything asked of him the last couple years for us.
 

eramosat

Registered User
Dec 19, 2015
1,633
899
Toronto
It's a good problem to have. Pick Mc to start with and go from there? I think it's pretty clear that the Leaf's first and best choice is to try and retain all their goalies, and just see how they do, and adjust accordingly. Sparks was a standout in the AHL last year...McBackup is coming off a stellar backup season...and Pickard was no slouch in his time either. Straightforward pros and cons for every single one that can easily be settled on the ice...barring waivers, which don't normally matter.

If they trade one now, for practically nothing, because any goalie of this calibre is worth practically nothing, they still face waivers for the one(s) who are sent down. And while I think it's unlikely they'll lose one to waivers, the Flyers are starting to face some developing injury problems in net, and the ones remaining are't 100% healthy either. NHL starters: Elliot is coming off off-season surgery...Neuvirth is out, maybe just for the season opener with a groin pull, but historically has missed a lot of games with the same injury. Last year's first call-up Alex Lyon is out for 1 month. 2 years ago callup Antony Stolarz missed all but 2 games of 2017-18 with his own multiple knee surgeries. Rookie Carter Hart is ready for mop-up duty but I bet Hextall doesn't want him to see NHL time very much, and certainly not in an uncontrolled manner.
 

Ratboy

I made a funny!
Jul 15, 2009
16,855
3,343
Mcelhinney shut the door real good last night after Sparks let in some softies early against an AHL caliber team. I'm rooting for Sparks because he's young and might time up well with taking the reins when Andersens contract expires in 3 years. I'd hate it if we couldn't re-sign Andsersen and Sparks was killing it for another team. But Mcelhinney looks like he might be the better back up for this season, so it's a tough call either way.
Sparks won't kill it for any team. Not in the NHL anyway.
 

LEAFANFORLIFE23

Registered User
Jun 17, 2010
45,389
14,256
Have a feeling Babcock would prefer McBackup but still don’t think Dubas will opt to keep him over Sparks.

Asset management, is eager, will win out over short term needs/wants.

Mac has been the better goalie and it hasn't been close, quite frankly Pickard has been better too.

Sparks has been the worst goalie in camp
 

supermann_98

Registered User
May 8, 2002
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Biggest concern with Sparks is his sloppy movement, i.e the goal where he fell over typifies how weak and slow he is on his skates.

I don't think goalies like him do well, Lehner has similar issues (beyond his mental problems) in that he at times is also sloppy, but I think he on the whole is better than Sparks.

If you look at goalies who have performed well in the AHL and won awards, it's hardly some excellent metric of translation, 2/18 are what I would consider good-excellent starters in their prime (Miller/Murray) and the rest of the award winners for best goalie have been extremely meh to complete non factors.

I'd rather go with Mac and I'm confident if he falls off in a year or two that Pickard will be more than fine as the backup.
I agree 100%. I’m not expecting him to become the next Ed Belfour with regards to the efficiency of his movement, but Sparks flops around like his pads weigh 50 lbs
 

ShaneFalco

Registered User
Jul 15, 2012
21,414
15,770
London, On
On the decision at the backup goaltending position:
The one thing to note here, and this will be the hardest thing to gauge, is that we’ve seen Sparks carry a heavy workload in the AHL but we haven’t seen him play once every three weeks in the second half of a back-to-back. Curtis McElhinney we know can be that vet who just goes in every so often and plays well. He has been good now for a few years. He hasn’t always been the greatest goalie, as his career will show, but the last few years, he’s been good.

I don’t think Babcock will be quick to sit on any goalie coming in, as we saw with Jhonas Enroth — pretty good goalie, but his role as a backup was, “You’re coming in in the second half of a back-to-back and you better be good.” He struggled.
That’s a tough thing for them to gauge. I feel like Babcock will lean towards the vet on that. He knows what McElhinney can do in that role and he knows he has the temperament for it, whereas Sparks is just used to being a starter at this point.

That is not a knock on him — it’s a good thing — but for the Leafs purposes, they are still going to give Andersen his 60 games. I can’t imagine lower than 55. Can Sparks, or Pickard for that matter, handle that pure backup role? It is not a 1A/1B situation. It is, “When is Andersen tired? When is their back to back?” And that’s it.
Anthony Petrielli discusses John Tavares' start to preseason, Leafs special teams, and the backup goaltending situation on Sportsnet 590 | Maple Leafs Hotstove
 
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diceman934

Help is on the way.
Jul 31, 2010
17,317
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NHL player factory
Sparks is in tough as he has been out played by all the goalies in camp. He likely gets traded for a draft pick and we send Pickard down soon as it is easier to clear waivers the early we do it. Pickard can play in the NHL and could fill in if we need him to.

I have said many times that I am not at all confident that Sparks is an NHL goalie. Poor save selection and bad reads seems difficult to over come.
 

Morgs

#16 #34 #44 #88 #91
Jul 12, 2015
19,518
15,389
London, ON
Honestly, I'd take Pickard over both McBackup and Sparks.

Remove his one terriawful season when Colorado fell apart, and not only was he a great NHL backup, he was also looking to be a strong bet for a good Starting goalie. He was one of my first choices as a Bernier/Reimer replacement before we went out and got Freddy. I was excited for him to replace McBackup last season when we traded for him, no need though lol.

Plus, I prefer his style of play (similar to Andersen's) where he's very calm/cool/collected in the net compared to the Reimer-like play of McBackup and Sparks.
 
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Tak7

Registered User
Nov 1, 2009
12,623
4,094
GTA or the UK
Asset management is key here.

Can't lose Sparks for nothing. Can probably squeeze McElhinney through waivers, but there's no chance Sparks doesn't get claimed.

People point to Sparks outstanding season last season, but forget that he was very good the season before as well - he's put together 2 VERY solid AHL seasons, and deserves his shot at the NHL, even if he's had a rocky camp
 

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