Solving our Goaltending Problem

With Toskala about to set sail into either a forced retirement, a European league or a backup job that pays minimum salary, a smack of salary comes off the cap that Burke can use to fill the goaltending position.

Jonas Gustavsson will likely be retained because he has both the pedigree and the support of the goaltending coach in order to stick around. Barring a disastrous finish, he’s probably coming back.

Joey MacDonald, the third string, is also a pending UFA. He will likely find himself on an NHL roster, but it remains to be seen whether the Leafs want to resign him. If Gustavsson proves his mettle as a legitimate number one, then MacDonald might not be a bad choice as a cheap number two.

More likely, though, is that Gustavsson will perform well enough to be given the chance to grab the starters job next season, but need a strong backup in case he falters.

Looking around the league, there are a crop of pending UFA netminders. Marty Turco, Jonas Hiller and Evgeny Nabokov are likely to find work before UFA status begins.

Around the league, potential No 1A pickups could include Jose Theodore, Chris Mason, or Dan Ellis.

You could also try sending an offer sheet to one of Jaroslav Halak, Josh Harding, Michal Neuvrith or Kari Lehtonen.

In the minors, you have James Reimer and Grant Rollheiser coming through the pipeline. But both are years away from amounting to anything (if at all) NHL-calibre. Yes, maybe Burke should’ve taken an Olivier Roy instead of a Jamie Devane.

On the trade front, potential targets could include Jean Sebastien Giguere and Cory Schneider.

None, if any of these options stand out as a sure-thing solution to the Maple Leafs woes, and the future in the depth chart doesn’t look so bright.

If you’re Burke and Co., you had better hope Gustavsson seizes that job. Otherwise, our playoff-less streak might just have new legs.

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