December 30, 2023 | 9:25pm ET
TheFourthPeriod.com

MAPLE LEAFS WON’T RUSH GOALIE MOVE

Ilya Samsonov, goaltender

With Joseph Woll out around another month, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been platooning goaltenders Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones recently, which hasn’t resulted in positive reviews.

Questions over Toronto’s goaltending arose this week after the holiday freeze lifted and speculation began to grow over whom the Leafs could target to help between the pipes.

Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe poured a little gas on the fire after Friday’s 6-5 overtime loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets when he told the media he needs his goaltenders to make timely saves and added that, “I'm sure (Leafs GM Brad Treliving) is going to consider everything.”

However, Elliotte Friedman pumped the breaks on any goalie-related moves in Toronto during the “Saturday Headlines” segment on Hockey Night in Canada this evening.

“Other teams don’t think the Leafs have a tremendously amount of enthusiasm for (a goalie acquisition),” Friedman said. “They believe what Toronto would like to do is hold on until Woll can get back and be healthy.

“There is a couple of mitigating factors here. Number One, they don’t have a lot that they want to trade; they don’t have a ton in terms of draft picks and prospects. And also, they don’t really have a situation here where they feel there’s a lot that makes them better. Now, that can always change and we’ll see where this goes here.”

Montreal’s Jake Allen, Anaheim’s John Gibson, Chicago’s Petr Mrazek and Columbus’ Elvis Merzlikins are among the goaltenders available for trade, and come with varying asking prices, but the Leafs do not seem eager to make a move for any of them.

The Maple Leafs are also up against the salary cap and any significant addition will likely result in at least one roster player being moved out.