The Toronto Maple Leafs have one of the best goalie tandems in the NHL. The only caveat is that said tandem isn’t always healthy. That’s why the club should look into signing UFA goalie Alexander Georgiev to boost depth.
Last season, Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll took turns leading the Leafs to a solid regular season. In the playoffs, Stolarz and Woll could hardly be blamed for the way things turned out.
That being said, things get kind of thin beyond Stolarz and Woll. At various points, the Maple Leafs had to turn to third-string options. However, Dennis Hildeby and Matt Murray weren’t precisely the most reliable options.
Hildeby played well for a couple of games and then got shellacked in the rest. Murray was fine, but not the sort of third-stringer that could come in and save the day.
So, going further down the trough, things don’t seem overly encouraging. For starters, Hildeby is an RFA this summer. He’s sort of slipped through the cracks. But the Maple Leafs likely get around to re-signing him. He’s a good option for the Marlies. That’s why the organization wouldn’t like to part with him willingly.
Then, PuckPedia reports Artur Akhtyamo and Vyacheslav Peksa as the other goalies in the team’s depth chart. They’re prospects for now, and because of that, won’t be a factor in the NHL at this point.
So, what options to the Maple Leafs have if one of Stolarz or Woll goes down again this upcoming season?
That’s where the Maple Leafs should look into signing Alexandar Georgiev. Georgiev is a decent backup at this point in his career and would be a fantastic third-string option to boost the organization’s depth in the crease.
Maple Leafs Could Offer Georgiev Fresh Start
Alexandar Georgiev started this past season with the Colorado Avalanche. Unfortunately, he got off to a rocky start in Colorado. So, the Avalanche shipped him off to the San Jose Sharks in December for MacKenzie Blackwood.
Blackwood was great for the Avalanche, while Georgiev continued to struggle in San Jose. The Sharks finished at the bottom of the league and landed the second overall pick. The club moved on from Georgiev and had anointed prospect Yaroslav Askarov as its starting netminder.
That leaves Georgiev looking for another kick at the NHL can. But it doesn’t seem like the phone is ringing off the hook. With a starting job out of the question, a backup role seems like the most fitting role at this point.
But a contending team, like the Maple Leafs, could see value in Georgiev as a depth goalie. If injuries strike, and they will, having an experienced, if unspectacular, goalie like Georgiev could be a great option.
Georgiev Adds Depth to the Marlies
It’s unlikely the Maple Leafs carry three goalies all season long. It would be nice if they could, but cap space won’t allow it.
That’s why signing Georgiev likely means sending him to the Marlies to start the season. Unless one of Woll or Stolarz starts the season on IR, Georgiev could become the starter with the Marlies.
That situation would create a Georgiev-Hildeby tandem that could sustain the Marlies all season long. Moreover, adding Georgiev to the AHL mix allows the Marlies to be a competitive team. That could be a minor objective, but one certainly worth pursuing.
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