The Toronto Maple Leafs enter the new season with a mix of stability and uncertainty. The sure things are Auston Matthews scoring goals, Anthony Stolarz performing well, and Nick Robertson‘s impending exit. However, one of the biggest questions pertains to goalie Joseph Woll.
There is no timeline for his return, which prompted the PTO agreement between the Maple Leafs and James Reimer. However, a new report indicates that the team has interest in at least one goaltender who was added to the waiver wire on Sunday. That goaltender is Michael DiPietro of the Boston Bruins.
Maple Leafs Connected to Michael DiPietro
GettyMichael DiPietro
The Maple Leafs have a slower team this year than they did in the previous season, but that is a lesser priority for management. According to a new RG report, the Maple Leafs have interest in one of the biggest goaltending prospects in the league.
James Murphy revealed that the Maple Leafs are one of a few teams with interest in the young netminder.
“I’ve heard the Maple Leafs and (Calgary) Flames have expressed trade interest in him before,” Murphy wrote on October 5. He explains that a source told him, “I’d also keep an eye on the Hurricanes. Look, this kid was expected to have teams willing to sign him if he hadn’t re-upped with the Bruins just before free agency started.”
“Teams have called on him before, and if he goes through, I’d be surprised if he’s not claimed.”
According to Murphy’s source, there are NHL GMs who believe DiPietro can be an effective tandem goaltender this season.
“I’ve had conversations with managers, and the feeling is that teams who still need backups would love to grab him off waivers,” Murphy’s source revealed. “Because they think he can actually be a 1B, not just a backup.”
“The Leafs are really going for it, and I don’t think they want to take any chances between the pipes,” Murphy explained of what his source told him. “This is a kid that many think is coming into his own, so it makes sense they would be interested.”
DiPietro, 26, was initially drafted by the Vancouver Canucks 64th overall in the 2017 draft. The 6-foot-1, 205 lb goalie recorded 26 wins, a 2.05 goals against average (GAA), a .927 save percentage (SV%), and four shutouts in 40 AHL games last year.
James Reimer is the Veteran Insurance for the Maple Leafs
GettyMaple Leafs have been linked to a goalie who could replace James Reimer.
The Maple Leafs brought in Reimer on a PTO on September 26. Naturally, this launched speculation on how long Woll will be on leave. However, the team must focus on winning hockey games.
According to Sportsnet’s Luke Fox, Reimer is a better option than the majority of available netminders.
“(Brad Treliving) could poke around the trade market with minimal assets to spend,” Fox wrote when the PTO was announced. “(they could) snatch (Connor) Ingram off waivers; or bring in a UFA like Reimer, ex-Leaf Ilya Samsonov (with whom the club has an unpleasant arbitration history), or Georgii Romanov (who’s no more proven than Hildeby).”
Fox went into more detail about how the other goalies in the organization motivated the PTO.
“It is telling that Treliving was compelled to bring in more goaltending depth,” Fox explained. “Woll’s return does not feel imminent. Hildeby still looks raw.”
“And the 31-year-old Stolarz, stellar when healthy, has never carried a starter’s burden through 82 games at the NHL level.”
Can DiPietro be better than Reimer? That remains to be seen. It doesn’t hurt to give a promising player a shot.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Maple Leafs Linked to James Reimer Replacement appeared first on Heavy Sports.