Quick, who looks like Al Bundy but does not have a goaltender or a cell phone?If you answered Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving on Trade Deadline Day, you’d be correct.
The Leafs’ general manager probably muddled up the dates on his Blackberry Callander or dropped his phone in the toilet and was too embarrassed to request a replacement before Friday’s NHL trading deadline.
These are the only plausible explanations for the Leafs’ lack of action during the past week.
Joseph Woll is the obvious playoff starter for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
TJ Brodie and Ilya Samsonov, neither of whom would play in the playoffs on a true winning team, combined to earn $8 million dollars, and it was a buyers market with exceptionally low prices, so don’t tell me the Leafs couldn’t have done something if they wanted to.
They didn’t want to because if they lose, they can simply blame Kyle Dubas, and if they fluke out and Matthews and Marner get hot at the right time, they can still win, so the only real risk here is that they completely flop and the incoming MLSE President fires Shanhanan, who takes Treliving with him.
Treliving’s lack of action indicates that they do not consider that a real threat, but I am not so sure. I believe Shanahan has become comfortable and is unaware of the amount of fury he will face if this team fails to advance beyond the first round.
Anyway, I’m babbling and have gotten away from the topic at hand, which is goaltending.
Some individuals now see Ilya Samsonov’s narrative as redemptive and uplifting. Personally, I do not believe in the redemption of wealthy. Samsonov makes a ridiculous amount of money just to let people shoot vulcanized rubber at him, and his transition from unplayable (and unclaimed by every single team in the league) to earning 10 times more than the (mostly) working-class heroes who contribute to his salary does not impress me.
I simply don’t care. I would never have allowed him start another game for this team after he was waived, and I don’t believe he’ll perform well in the postseason. Any goaltender can seem excellent for a month when Auston Matthews scores one goal per game, but Sammy has played 30 games and has a save % of.887.
He can’t be trusted in a major game.
The Leafs clearly agree, since despite his recent great numbers, Joseph Woll started both games against Boston last week. Woll should start every game from this point forward, with the exception of any back-to-backs.
Joseph Woll is the Toronto Maple Leafs’ undisputed number-one goalkeeper, and unless injured, he should start all of the team’s playoff games.
I believe the Leafs should have invested more in the present, as Auston Mattews is at his absolute top and Marner, Tavares, Rielly, and Nylander will never be better than they are currently.
The Leafs have the 19th best 5v5 save % in the NHL. They rank 21st overall.
Despite this, Brad Treliving and Brendan Shanahan believed it was appropriate to enter the playoffs alongside Samsonov, Woll, and Jones.
They had cap room (Brodie and Samsonov), tradeable assets (Easton Cowen, Frazer Minten, not to mention the first-round pick that is simply unacceptable to maintain at this point), and impact players to choose from.
The Toronto Maple Leafs failed to act at the deadline. Not doing so was pitiful and cowardly. Brad Treliving’s first season as general manager has been a complete catastrophe by every objective standard.
I no longer trust this team to make the right decision, but starting Joseph Woll over Ilya Samsonov in the playoffs is probably a no-brainer.
