Toronto's Goaltending Dilemma (Who starts in the playoffs?)

[Bluelines]

Am I reading this correctly? The premise is that a goalie comes to town for a month, and despite a lifetime of goaltending experience into his late 20's early 30's, his game is ruined from interactions with a goaltending consultant. Seems a bit far fetched.

Doubtfull a goalie coach can do that much damage in such a short time. The errors BSD made in his last game is between the ears. Maybe getting traded from a small hockey market to the largest hockey market is playing with his head.

The post game presser, he looked like someone killed his dog, like just utterly lost, confused.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Tampa has no cap space to activate their starting goalie?

Leafs have the space to ice Andersen, though they'd have to waive Simmonds and I think someone else like Joe.

 

[Golden_Jet]

Tampa literally did exactly what Toronto did with Kucherov rather than Andersen....

Toronto had the cap space to activate Andersen before acquiring Rittich, he was only blocked because he wasnt ready to come back and they needed to upgrade Hutchinson.

Now with Hymans injury, they can LTIR Hyman to get Andersen back in so they have the cap to activate Andersen when hes good to go.

You are fired up about a non-issue

If they LTIR Hyman, he misses 10 games or 23 days minimum, that is not enough to activate Andersen as Hyman makes half the salary of Andersen. Still need to shed about another 2.75 million to activate, or 5 million if Hyman is not LTIR.

 

[sparxx87]

Leafs have the space to ice Andersen, though they'd have to waive Simmonds and I think someone else like Joe.

Then they don’t really have the space, do they? Robbing Peter to pay Paul isn’t a solution. That’s literally how they lost their goalie insurance in the first place.

Thornton is cooked but there’s several potential matchups you’ll want Wayne Simmonds for. Losing him on waivers after he took less to play at home would be a pretty bad look, too.

 

[Zybalto]

In the 10-9-3 stretch since the Oilers series:

Goals for: 15th in the NHL
Shots Against: 8th lowest in the NHL
Expected Goals against: 4th lowest in the NHL
Team save%: 88.58 (29th in the NHL)

Campbell: .910

Three other sieves who have played more combined minutes: .886, .877, .862

Gotta stick with Jack here and probably Andersen when he comes back (hopefully healthy).

Not saying finishing hasn't been a problem ( would like to see Goals scored always in the top ten over a stretch like this) but even then, the team is probably 15-7 with just average goaltending.

 

[The Podium]

If they LTIR Hyman, he misses 10 games or 23 days minimum, that is not enough to activate Andersen as Hyman makes half the salary of Andersen. Still need to shed about another 2.75 million to activate, or 5 million if Hyman is not LTIR.

They have 15 forwards, 8 D and 2 goalies on the roster,

3 forwards and 2 D to the taxi squad at an average of 800k with the 120k the already have is roughly 4.12 mill...

10 games left, they can retroactively LTIR Hyman when Andersen is close and hell be ready for Game 1 of the playoffs.

 

[The Podium]

I act like it’s COVID times and players are far more prone to be out of the lineup because of it. That said, it’d be smart to keep an extra goalie on hand just in case.

I blame Dubas for putting himself within a used Hyundai of the salary cap and allowing no wiggle room in case of injury.

But Dubas has wiggle room and can still bring Andersen back....

He brought in 2 extra goalies in case, one was lost unfortunately since 0 teams in the league carry 3 goalies.

Tampa knew Kucherov was out for the year. Anderson had no timeline and was injured (and inexplicably kept playing) mid season. They weren’t about to trade a $5M player prior to the Anderson injury, were they?

How is that relevant? They are using LTIR space for a main roster piece. If anything, Dubas did a better job by not having to deal a 5M player to be compliant. Kucherov also wasnt out for the year since hes been ready to come back for months. If we were blocking Marner from his return for the same reason as Tampa you wouldnt be calling it a smart move.

 

[ACC1224]

How do we get out of this? And who starts in the playoffs?

Andersen?

Campbell?

Rittich lol?

How do we handle the goaltending situation in the final games to put us in the best situation going into the playoffs?

Whoever is playing the best at the end of the season. If I were to bet I’d say Andersen gets Game 1.

 

[sparxx87]

But Dubas has wiggle room and can still bring Andersen back....

He brought in 2 extra goalies in case, one was lost unfortunately since 0 teams in the league carry 3 goalies.



How is that relevant? They are using LTIR space for a main roster piece. If anything, Dubas did a better job by not having to deal a 5M player to be compliant. Kucherov also wasnt out for the year since hes been ready to come back for months. If we were blocking Marner from his return for the same reason as Tampa you wouldnt be calling it a smart move.

They need to LTIR Hyman or waive some other collection. Again, robbing Peter to pay Paul doesn’t mean you had the money.

Nikita Kucherov injury update

As of Feb 1st he was still ‘months away’ so I don’t know why you’re suggesting he’s ready to play. Based on everything I’ve read, he isn’t.

Again, had he been healthy they would have traded Johnson. When they learned he was out until playoffs they kept Johnson. This isn’t the same as having your starting goalie get injured, acquire salary through trade, then not have enough cap to activate your goalie until playoffs without potentially losing other pieces.

Lightning Round: An update on Nikita Kucherov

This one from April 17 - Cooper says he just started skating. Not sure who told you he’s been ready for months but they were wrong.

 

[HellasLEAF]

Ride the hot hand. And I would give Campbell a long leash right now. I would keep starting him no matter what and going to Rittich in anything but back to back would be a mistake. Now is the time to show confidence in Jack that he won't get yanked because he doesn't win.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

Then they don’t really have the space, do they?

They do. Using a snappy catch phrase doesn't mean they don't.

 

[The Podium]

They need to LTIR Hyman or waive some other collection. Again, robbing Peter to pay Paul doesn’t mean you had the money.

Nikita Kucherov injury update

As of Feb 1st he was still ‘months away’ so I don’t know why you’re suggesting he’s ready to play. Based on everything I’ve read, he isn’t.

Again, had he been healthy they would have traded Johnson. When they learned he was out until playoffs they kept Johnson. This isn’t the same as having your starting goalie get injured, acquire salary through trade, then not have enough cap to activate your goalie until playoffs without potentially losing other pieces.

Lightning Round: An update on Nikita Kucherov

This one from April 17 - Cooper says he just started skating. Not sure who told you he’s been ready for months but they were wrong.

Hyman is injured, LTIRing him is justified. He is minimum 2 weeks with only 3 weeks left in the season... I dont see why that is so taboo to some?

Kucherov has been skating since early March, he may not be 100% but hes close and they dont have the money to get him in.

Nikita Kucherov back on the ice a welcome sight for Lightning

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

We don't have to cap space to take him off before the end of the season anyways.

Leafs left enough space to activate Andersen. They'd need to waive Rittich and someone like Joe to give him some time off, which would be nice for him to get anyway leading up to the playoffs.

Andersen was day to day at the deadline and is day to day now. They absolutely needed to plan to activate him during the regularly season, and they did. No worries, the cap construction is fine.

 

[The Podium]

Leafs left enough space to activate Andersen. They'd need to waive Rittich and someone like Joe to give him some time off, which would be nice for him to get anyway leading up to the playoffs.

They dont even need to do that

Robertson, Brooks, Sandin to the taxi squad = 2.5 mill
Hyman LTIR (10 game minimum takes him to playoffs) = 2.25
Existing cap space 120k

Total: 4.9 mill

 

[sparxx87]

Hyman is injured, LTIRing him is justified. He is minimum 2 weeks with only 3 weeks left in the season... I dont see why that is so taboo to some?

Kucherov has been skating since early March, he may not be 100% but hes close and they dont have the money to get him in.

Nikita Kucherov back on the ice a welcome sight for Lightning

I don’t think this means ‘ready for months’

It’s not that it’s taboo, it’s that they risk losing other pieces on waivers to swing it. Given that they’ve used so much draft capital to try and add depth and balance, that doesn’t seem like a smart move to potentially give some of it back for nothing just to get under a cap they left no wiggle room for.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

They dont even need to do that

Robertson, Brooks, Sandin to the taxi squad = 2.5 mill
Hyman LTIR (10 game minimum takes him to playoffs) = 2.25
Existing cap space 120k

Total: 4.9 mill

Yea with Hyman on LTIR. I was just talking more about the cap planning at the deadline, which the poster was attacking. Even without Hyman on LTIR, we can ice Andersen, we'd just need to waive Rittich and Joe or equivalent.

 

[sparxx87]

Yea with Hyman on LTIR. I was just talking more about the cap planning at the deadline, which the poster was attacking. Even without Hyman on LTIR, we can ice Andersen, we'd just need to waive Rittich and Joe or equivalent.

And if someone claims Rittich who they gave a 3rd round pick for one good and two bad games of, that would be considered good cap management in your eyes?

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

And if someone claims Rittich who they gave a 3rd round pick for one good and two bad games of, that would be considered good cap management in your eyes?

Who's claiming a goalie they have to keep on their NHL roster and can't use in the playoffs?

 

[sparxx87]

Who's claiming a goalie they have to keep on their NHL roster and can't use in the playoffs?

So you’d gamble the answer is nobody? I wouldn’t. I’d bet there’s a few teams that have their eye on him for next year and would take the opportunity to test drive him.

Either way, lack of cap space forcing a team to waive someone who they just spent a 3rd round pick to acquire isn’t what anyone reasonable could call ‘good cap management’.

 

[BoredBrandonPridham]

So you’d gamble the answer is nobody? I wouldn’t. I’d bet there’s a few teams that have their eye on him for next year and would take the opportunity to test drive him.

Either way, lack of cap space forcing a team to waive someone who they just spent a 3rd round pick to acquire isn’t what anyone reasonable could call ‘good cap management’.

lol?

 

[Wafflewhipper]

If Andy is healthy, he is my starter.

He’s the devil we know.

 

[Mad hatter]

They need to LTIR Hyman or waive some other collection. Again, robbing Peter to pay Paul doesn’t mean you had the money.

Nikita Kucherov injury update

As of Feb 1st he was still ‘months away’ so I don’t know why you’re suggesting he’s ready to play. Based on everything I’ve read, he isn’t.

Again, had he been healthy they would have traded Johnson. When they learned he was out until playoffs they kept Johnson. This isn’t the same as having your starting goalie get injured, acquire salary through trade, then not have enough cap to activate your goalie until playoffs without potentially losing other pieces.

Lightning Round: An update on Nikita Kucherov

This one from April 17 - Cooper says he just started skating. Not sure who told you he’s been ready for months but they were wrong.

I’d say your right that if Kucherov was healthy enough to play he’ll be playing. I’m sure they would love for him to get his timing down before the playoffs start.

They have tried pretty hard to dump Johnson salary though. He’s been on waivers a few times with no takers. Without retaining quite a bit I don’t think he’s tradable.

 

[Golden_Jet]

They dont even need to do that

Robertson, Brooks, Sandin to the taxi squad = 2.5 mill
Hyman LTIR (10 game minimum takes him to playoffs) = 2.25
Existing cap space 120k

Total: 4.9 mill

What happens to taxi squad guys, did you waive 3 of them to make room?
Isn’t it a 23 man roster not 25, so are they even counting Foligno or Brooks.

 

[Wafflewhipper]

Can we fire the power play coach as well?

He actually doesn’t make them stand still and fumble passes and miss the net when you shoot. The powerplay is the players fault and it’s starting to come back anyways. Its the oldest debate in hockey about powerplay working or not working.
You ignore it and play your structured defensive game. Over thinking is a curse of the brain

 

[sparxx87]

lol?

Can you name any other examples of this exceptional cap and asset management where a team traded a 3rd round pick for a player to play 3 games with them, then waive said player to free up cap space less than two weeks later?

...or has that never happened because nobody is that stupid? Serious question.