Re-sign Andersen?

What to do with Andersen?


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    350

Ciao

Registered User
Jul 15, 2010
9,917
5,734
Toronto
In 14/15 Anaheim won two rounds against Winnipeg and Calgary with him in net, unless that's just for the Leafs games.

But he's had company in those games. I'm sure you could find equally unremarkable stats for some out players as well.
That was then. This is now.
 

Gallagbi

Formerly Eazy_B97
Jul 5, 2005
48,490
11,107
I understand goaltending just fine. If you look at the elite of the elite, the best goalies are ultra competitive, athletic, have great technique and structure to their games will battle hard to make a save when all else fails.

A guy like James Reimer was athletic and a great battler, but had relatively poor technique. A guy like Andersen is almost the opposite as he has athleticism and technique but lacks the mental focus and strength.

That's why he lets in the Foudy goal this year on a nothing play in Game 5, the random goal in Game 1 on a routine shot from Atkinson, the Bjorkstrand shot to make it 2-0 in Game 4 (which would have killed the Leafs had it not been for the random comeback) or the Nordstrom goal last year in Game 7, or is the guy who gives up the late game tying goal to Marcus Johansson in Game 6 of 2017.

Save percentage aside, Andersen sucks in pressure situations.
His technique isn't really that strong. It's why he's beat so often cleanly and why he tends to give up bad goals. Early in the season it's downright bad where he is often setup to the shooter instead of the puck
 
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robertmac43

Forever 43!
Mar 31, 2015
23,093
15,175
I would be surprised if Freddie is traded and even more surprised if he is resigned. My guess is he plays out the end of his contract and then walks. He will want a lot of money and we won't be able to meet it. I also don't know if transitioning fully to Campbell would be a good idea, so keeping Freddie would be nice.

Hoping they will run as a 1a/1b set up this year to help acclimatize Campbell to a heavier workload and to give Freddie some more down time.
 

MMC

Global Moderator
May 11, 2014
47,802
38,360
Orange County, CA
As someone who isn’t a Leafs fan but follows the Leafs pretty heavily, as my girlfriend is a Leafs fan, it’s always surprised me reading this board and other places like social media, Discord, and Reddit and seeing so many people who seemingly want to move on from Andersen. Even if he can’t be re-signed, I’m surprised how many people seem ready to trade him. Even if he doesn’t extend, wouldn’t it be better just to keep him and let him walk?
 

67Leafs67

Registered User
Nov 8, 2014
773
630
Evaluate at the end of the season -- and I would think most likely that evaluation is letting him walk and looking elsewhere for goaltending help.

He had a frustrating season this year, but in his other three seasons with Toronto, he's been fantastic. Overall, in his time in Toronto he ranks 6th in GSAx in the NHL, and 10th in dFSv% among 38 goalies with 5000+ FA in that span.

The problem people have with him in the last two playoffs isn't that he's been bad per se (although a 0.48 GSAx and a 0.08 dFSv% are lower than what we're used to). The problem is that he's been outplayed by Rask & Korpisalo/Merzlikins...as frustrating as that is, he only has control of 50% of that situation, and frankly, he's done about as much as you can expect from him. He hasn't stolen us a series, but he also hasn't been bad enough that you can seriously blame him directly for us losing. It isn't like he's incapable of winning a playoff series either -- he did it twice in Anaheim, so this isn't some kind of mental block.

I do think that next season, we have two good goaltenders for just over $6mil, and Andersen actually having a good backup who will challenge him in the crease, and provide a bit more stability than Sparks or Hutchinson seems like it will be beneficial.

The reality is though, when his contract expires next off-season, he will be 32 years old by the time the 2021-22 season starts up, and realistically, he'll be looking for term & big money at his age. I don't believe in signing a goaltender to significant money -- the position is far to volatile, and you are better off having two reliable guys to switch between for a cheaper investment. New York, Dallas, Boston, Chicago, Arizona, Carolina, St. Louis all had some of the best goaltending in the league this season, following that model with varying overall expenses.
 
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67Leafs67

Registered User
Nov 8, 2014
773
630
As someone who isn’t a Leafs fan but follows the Leafs pretty heavily, as my girlfriend is a Leafs fan, it’s always surprised me reading this board and other places like social media, Discord, and Reddit and seeing so many people who seemingly want to move on from Andersen. Even if he can’t be re-signed, I’m surprised how many people seem ready to trade him. Even if he doesn’t extend, wouldn’t it be better just to keep him and let him walk?
I believe so. Why trade him now, after his only bad season out of four in Toronto, when his value is lowest, and leave yourself with a gaping hole in net that $5M in cap space isn't just going to fill? Doesn't really make much sense at all. It's just a knee jerk reaction to him getting outplayed by the unsuspecting Korpisalo.
 

Tak7

Registered User
Nov 1, 2009
12,623
4,094
GTA or the UK
As someone who isn’t a Leafs fan but follows the Leafs pretty heavily, as my girlfriend is a Leafs fan, it’s always surprised me reading this board and other places like social media, Discord, and Reddit and seeing so many people who seemingly want to move on from Andersen. Even if he can’t be re-signed, I’m surprised how many people seem ready to trade him. Even if he doesn’t extend, wouldn’t it be better just to keep him and let him walk?

Correct.

The only way you move him, is if you're getting a stronger starter in return - which isn't happening, given the year he's just had.

Even a "change of scenery" trade with someone like Matt Murray doesn't make sense, as you'll have to pay Murray more than Fred next season.

So, your only hope is to keep him, hope he bounced back, and then let him walk at the end of the season.

You can't resign him
 

Gallagbi

Formerly Eazy_B97
Jul 5, 2005
48,490
11,107
In 14/15 Anaheim won two rounds against Winnipeg and Calgary with him in net, unless that's just for the Leafs games.

But he's had company in those games. I'm sure you could find equally unremarkable stats for some out players as well.
Think they blew a 3-2 series lead in 14-15, so that's 2. Then 1 each of the next series he played with the exception of a 3-2 series lead last year v. Boston
 

Rare Jewel

Patience
Jan 11, 2007
18,801
2,875
Leaf Land
That's the 8 games. Some he was a big factor in the loss, arguably the biggest, others he was fine and even very good, like Game 6 last year

What about the games where he was a big factor in winning up to that point? I mean they hardly ever out shoot Boston and yet had two 7 game series with them.
 

Gallagbi

Formerly Eazy_B97
Jul 5, 2005
48,490
11,107
What about the games where he was a big factor in winning up to that point? I mean they hardly ever out shoot Boston and yet had two 7 game series with them.
Then he played well in those games? Not sure what you're looking for here, I clarified a stat in question about 14-15.

He's had some good games and some bad in playoffs. I thought he was outright poor in that first Boston series
 
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