So who's the backup going to be?

[Menzinger]

Unless you think Sparks can become a starter- which seem remote- why mess up the backup role? Is there something Mc didn't do, all I recall is clinching a playoff spot two years ago and having absolutely amazing numbers last. Yes, Sparks is younger, but it's pretty dicey logic to replace a proven commodity with an IF when you don't have too. Nobody knows if Sparks can handle a backup role in the NHL, given how crucial it will be, I don't get why we need to push him. He isn't the heir apparent, we got Mc for nothing, Pickard next to, if we need another backup for Andy, I have faith our management can find someone.

Is McBackup really all that “proven”?

He played less than 20 games last year at a level far above his career norm (and just 14 games the season prior). One might say a safer bet for this year is he’ll start playing like he has for the majority of his career ( a mediocre level)

 

[NiftyMits]

this guy

Bernier

 

[CantLoseWithMatthews]

Bernier

Bernier as a backup is perfectly fine

 

[justafan22]

FWIW, I think they didn't waive anyone today, since tomorrow is the day where EVERYONE goes on waivers, so they're trying to sneak Pickard

 

[613Leafer]

I thought Pickard looked the best of the three in the preseason but he never really had a chance at the job.

He has a career 0.913 NHL save % through 87 games, 86 of which were for a non-playoff team in Colorado that was widely considered to be one of the worst defensive teams in the league. He's also only 26 years old.

It's not absurd to think he could be a solid backup capable of ~30-35 starts, like a Reimer or Bernier type of guy. Though I agree that I think he was always a longshot for us coming into this season.

 

[FalcorMulch]

I don’t know why everyone is acting like McBackup is the “safe” choice. Odds are he comes back down to earth at some point. And earth is having the worst career numbers of all active goalies in the league.

That’s no less of a gamble than betting on Sparks to find his game at the NHL level or Pickard to recapture what he had a few years ago.

 

[DarkKnight]

Is McBackup really all that “proven”?

He played less than 20 games last year at a level far above his career norm (and just 14 games the season prior). One might say a safer bet for this year is he’ll start playing like he has for the majority of his career ( a mediocre level)

Yes he's a proven backup, what more could he have done for us in that role? What was missing that we need?

 

[Menzinger]

Yes he's a proven backup, what more could he have done for us in that role? What was missing that we need?

His ability to repeat.

He’s been a lousy backup for most of his career. hence why the Leafs were able to pick him up on waivers to begin with.

I’m not saying he’s GOING to be bad this season, I just won’t blink if he is. Few guys find their game at 34.

 

[luvdahattymatty]

MAC will be the choice of Babs.
Sparkie and Pickard will go on waivers.
Sparkie probably gets picked up.
Dubie is trying to trade for a pick past week but all other teams know the Leafs are in a pickle.

 

[CanadasTeam]

His ability to repeat.

He’s been a lousy backup for most of his career. hence why the Leafs were able to pick him up on waivers to begin with.

I’m not saying he’s GOING to be bad this season, I just won’t blink if he is. Few guys find their game at 34.

Leafs picked him up on waivers because they saw something in him as a backup, and Mac has proven them right the last TWO seasons -- what more do you want?

 

[Menzinger]

Leafs picked him up on waivers because they saw something in him as a backup, and Mac has proven them right the last TWO seasons -- what more do you want?

14 games and 18 games.

He’s played great in those small samples. What I’m questioning is, will he be able to repeat.

Why do we think he’s randomly become a good player so late in his career? Maybe the simplest answer is he got lucky. Fairly common for a mediocre player to have a random good season

 

[ShaneFalco]

I think however you work it, you keep Pickard and let Sparks go
McBackup starts behind Andersen to start

 

[The Best Leafs Ever]

Sparks can go anywhere for a bag of pucks or not even. He was just so pathetic not even a dog would fart on his face.

 

[GodEmperor]

this guy

I usually agree with you, but you are way off on this.

Save percentage doesn't mean as much as it used to, Rask is the all time leader at 922, does ANYBODY consider him the greatest goalie of all time? Is he even top 20?

Furthermore, half of that list is trash (Lehner, Smith, Allen, Bernier) of the 4 remaining goalies, 2 are what I would consider great-excellent and the other two meh-ok.

If you go back and look at the list of the AHL's best goalie, you'll see that something like 2/3 of them do nothing in the NHL, it is hardly a great measuring stick that some think it is.

Finally, just watch Sparks play, his movement is AWFUL, the guy is incredibly sloppy in ways that NONE of the other goalies (even Lehner had better movement) can even compare, if he is 25 and his movement hasn't been fixed, I have some bad news for you. The guy has absolutely no future in the NHL and playing on a stacked AHL team means nothing, backup goalies are incredibly easy replacements (Lehtonen, Niemi, Bernier, Miller and others were available this offseason), we are losing nothing of value and no a guy that moves as badly as he does absolutely has no chance of doing anything in the NHL as we saw in the preseason where he got lit by non-NHL teams.

 

[Suntouchable13]

Leafs picked him up on waivers because they saw something in him as a backup, and Mac has proven them right the last TWO seasons -- what more do you want?

He is just as likely to be on waivers by Christmas as he is to be as good as last season. That's just my opinion. I don't trust him at all, but then again, I don't trust any of our goalies not named Freddy. I don't care who the backup is, none of them are really trustworthy. Why do you think Babs played Andy as much as he did? I don't think he really trusted in McElhinney to play much more than he did.

 

[francis246]

sparks looks terrible lol, keep McBackup and hope you don't lose Pickard because he has some potential and maybe he steps in to the backup role next year

 

[TMLegend]

Sparks looks the same now as he did 3 years ago, complete and utter shit!

 

[DarkKnight]

His ability to repeat.

He’s been a lousy backup for most of his career. hence why the Leafs were able to pick him up on waivers to begin with.

I’m not saying he’s GOING to be bad this season, I just won’t blink if he is. Few guys find their game at 34.

When he was put on waivers by Columbus they were making room for a kid, he was 5-2 with a .924 and 2.39. Lousy? His numbers apart from one season in Columbus were good and he played a lot too.

 

[Peiskos]

Its going to be McElhinney, he's proven he can be a stable quality backup and he's done nothing to lose his job.

Sparks on the other hand has done nothing to win this job.

I'd be curious to see what Pickard can do though, if I'm not mistaken he hasn't really been given much of a shot.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

Sparks is a worse Reimer. Reimer fished a bit and was a bit awkward but got results. Sparks fishes a lot more and almost never looks good. Sparks looked bad in every game.

Mcbackup posted a 9.14 in his 3 games literally went average.
Do you want bad or average?

Pickard didn't get to play enough but I'm fine with either pickard Mcbackup.

 

[DarkKnight]

Sparks is a worse Reimer. Reimer fished a bit and was a bit awkward but got results. Sparks fishes a lot more and almost never looks good. Sparks looked bad in every game.

Mcbackup posted a 9.14 in his 3 games literally went average.
Do you want bad or average?

Pickard didn't get to play enough but I'm fine with either pickard Mcbackup.

Reimer is an excellent backup in this league.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Coin Toss

20 sided coin, 19 sides have McBackup.

 

[Albus Dumbledore]

Reimer is an excellent backup in this league.

Not saying he isn't.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

Reimer is an excellent backup in this league.

 

[DarkKnight]

Not saying he isn't.

I'm agreeing with you.