Everyone except the kitchen sink (and the kitchen sink too if it could talk.) says Freddy is on the market. I, for one, would really hate to see it happen. I am a huge fan of the Freddie and Campbell combination. With a decent defence, they would give us a chance to win every night.
So why is he on the market?
There could be a couple of reasons—one obvious and one a stretch. Of course, the first reason is that the Leafs do not have the cap to re-sign Freddy. Freddy has one more year left at $5 million. Freddy gots to get paid after next season. The Maple Leafs simply don't have the cap room to give him a raise. Basic math tells me the Leafs have to make room or move him out. I'm not too sure the Maple Leafs will be willing to part with other talent in order to keep him. I would hate to lose him, but the casualties of the cap world sometimes do suck.
The second possibility is that he has asked to be traded, but I doubt that he has. I have not heard any such claims.
What are the options?
Matt Murray RFA $3,750,000
The pens will have Murray on the market. A good quality, proven goalie. The reason he will be and Jarry won't be is the cap. And Casey DeSmith is an NHL-calibre backup goalie. Murray would give most teams an excellent chance to win every night. He covers the angles but may not be quite as good as Andersen.
Darcy Kuemper 2 more years $4,500,000
Darcy is one of the best netminders in the league. He covers the angles and has a great glove hand. Two more years on a contract is a plus. The problem is, will we be able to re-sign him in two years? He is on par with Andersen, if not better. I love this kid; if it were my choice, he would be my selection.
Last word
In my next blog, I will go over the free-agent market for goalies. The Leafs have some major choices ahead of them, the most significant being goal, the second being defence, which I have discussed in another blog.
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