Will the Leafs Limit Andersen’s Starts Next Season?

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

You're not handing the job to a scrub. You're giving it to the best AHL goalie in the league. It's asset management at this point. If Mac was a 27 year old goalie maybe you have a point.

What about Pickard? you know the guy that has actually been an NHL backup

 

[egd27]

I would prefer that they limit the shots against per game. That will not only help Andersen, but will likely translate to more wins.

 

[Tak7]

Depends who is backup.

I don't think they feel comfortable restricting Freddie to 55-60 games, if McBackup is the backup next season

 

[Willchel Marlynder]

What about Pickard? you know the guy that has actually been an NHL backup

That's definitely a good point. He'll have to beat out Pickard for sure.

 

[MikeBabchuk]

Why would we risk losing Sparks and/or Pickard to keep McE for one more season?

We could trade McElhinney, but waiving a guy who posted a .934 save % and honestly stole a good few games and is a good pro and works hard would be the definition of gutless.

 

[BrainyBomber]

So you just want to hand him the job? that's not how life works you have to EARN it by being better than the competition, don't give a flying **** about his AHL the NHL is ALL that matters, there are tons of guys great in the AHL but can't do **** all in the NHL.

Besides Pickard exists too and he's actually been an NHL backup so if either guy takes over it's probably Pickard

Spare us the BS sorry but that is not how life works. Over 80% of jobs of are awarded through just knowing someone. The vast majority aren't necessarily "earned" as how you present it by beating someone in a direct competition.

It's ridiculous to run a hockey club entirely based on competitive duels in what is a very brief training camp.

Sparks has far more value than McBackup. McBackup will be gone for nothing next summer. Sparks will be gone for nothing in October if he's not promoted. You keep the long-term asset who most likely is better than McBackup right now anyways. Looking at his career McBackup likely overachieved this year in what is a very small sample of games.

 

[LEAFANFORLIFE23]

Spare us the BS sorry but that is not how life works. Over 80% of jobs of are awarded through just knowing someone. The vast majority aren't necessarily "earned" as how you present it by beating someone in a direct competition.

It's ridiculous to run a hockey club entirely based on competitive duels in what is a very brief training camp.

Sparks has far more value than McBackup. McBackup will be gone for nothing next summer. Sparks will be gone for nothing in October if he's not promoted. You keep the long-term asset who most likely is better than McBackup right now anyways. Looking at his career McBackup likely overachieved this year in what is a very small sample of games.

And how do you know Sparks is the guy? What about Pickard? The guy that has actually been an NHL backup

 

[lifelonghockeyfan]

Regarding Sparks. There is a big difference between being a good goalie (on a real good AHL team) and playing in the NHL. But I think the Leafs have to know if Sparks is an NHLer so I think he is a Leaf in October.
I don't know if Andersen was tired. He good so rest in the last two weeks of the season. But I still wonder how he missed two easy shots, the Krug blue line shot that tied the game and Debrusk's game winner.

Of course we didn't Babcock have a centre on the ice in the 4 on 4 situation when the Leafs lost the defensive zone face off. Maybe Babcock was getting tired in game 7, though he gets outcoached behind the bench during the regular season too.

Regarding Pickard, well he might be a factor but he closer to being a UFA than Sparks. Just because he previously played in NHL doesn't mean much. He did clear waivers last year so other NHL teams did not think he was a better backup that what then their backups.

 

[Guy Boucher]

Babcock's excuse for overplaying Andersen was that he thought that Andersen got rusty/played bad whenever he had extended 'rest'. For example at the beginning of the season and coming off the All-Star break.

But that seems more like correlation rather than causation. Andersen ended up getting in a funk the last couple of months of the season despite playing often.

I think Babcock just has to realize that Andersen is a streaky guy who gets really hot and really cold and use our backups accordingly.

 

[BrainyBomber]

And how do you know Sparks is the guy? What about Pickard? The guy that has actually been an NHL backup

Well don't think anyone does but Pickard atleast made it through waivers last year. I'd gamble he could again but what would be absurd to do is risk losing both him and Sparks via waivers so next summer instead of a backlog of 3 quality backups we have 0. Need to deal one for sure when the backup goalie carousal starts in July because after camp ends is too late.

 

[cannucky]

Funny how you fanboys forget the 2 1/2 weeks rest he got a month before the playoffs , Tired ? of what ? sleeping too much ? the guy is a weak minded goalie period , time to move on we have 2 good goalies on the Marlies and a guy who came on with the weight of the teams playoff hopes on his shoulders . McBackup played lights out vezina numbers hockey , pushing us from playoff maybe to playoffs YES ,then we pull him and this seive plays 50 /50 hockey -see ya Andy .Li.it his play next year ? Hell yeah to like zero games

 

[Menzinger]

And how do you know Sparks is the guy? What about Pickard? The guy that has actually been an NHL backup

Sparks has been the better goalie this past season.

 

[Hockey Crazy]

Funny how you fanboys forget the 2 1/2 weeks rest he got a month before the playoffs , Tired ? of what ? sleeping too much ? the guy is a weak minded goalie period , time to move on we have 2 good goalies on the Marlies and a guy who came on with the weight of the teams playoff hopes on his shoulders . McBackup played lights out vezina numbers hockey , pushing us from playoff maybe to playoffs YES ,then we pull him and this seive plays 50 /50 hockey -see ya Andy .Li.it his play next year ? Hell yeah to like zero games

This is BS. Andersen won two do or die games before game 7 so I don’t see how the weak minded goalie thing is thrown around so much.

 

[MikeBabchuk]

This is BS. Andersen won two do or die games before game 7 so I don’t see how the weak minded goalie thing is thrown around so much.

In all fairness, you have "nothing to lose" in those games when you're already down, so the pressure is much less. The mindset in game 7 becomes different as the series is even in a do-or-die situation.

Ultimately, Andersen has a lot to prove next year in the playoffs.

 

[DontPanik]

Yeah. They should limit his starts to zero.

 

[Al14]

Yeah. They should limit his starts to zero.

So, to translate, you mean trade him?

 

[Buds17]

In all fairness, you have "nothing to lose" in those games when you're already down, so the pressure is much less. The mindset in game 7 becomes different as the series is even in a do-or-die situation.

Ultimately, Andersen has a lot to prove next year in the playoffs.

Could argue Games 5 and 6 weren't as pressure filled for Boston, but the Leafs would've gone home with a loss in either game. Game 7 was equal pressure. I agree that Andersen will need a better showing in (hopefully) next year's playoffs.

 

[HamiltonNHL]

I think the case of Andersen getting as many starts is down to coaching biases/Babcock. The guy wants to win every night

You let the goalie tell you how his body feels. Some goalies like Andersen that are late starters prefer more games to stay in rhythm