Former Flyers Defenseman Drawing Robust Free Agent Market
A former Flyers tough guy could put a ripple through this free agency class.
Video Transcript
Mike, I have a feeling that you've got some thoughts on this trade, so I'm gonna hand it over to you.
what do you think it means for the Leafs?
Are they, you know, opening the door for one of their younger goaltenders here to kinda take over?
and, and, you know, what was the logic behind moving on from Woll?
well, if they're opening the door for other goaltenders, it can't be Anthony Stolarz because we know he'll be on IR by November.
I think this is a big swing and a miss by John Chaika, his, his first deal as Toronto general manager.
Woll, I think, was his, his, his best goaltender.
it could mean that they have a lot of confidence in Dennis Hildeby, who played really well in a short stint last year.
Artur Akhtima- Akhtyamov, who is, leading right now two-nothing with the Marlies in the Calder Cup Final, is 24 years old, and I think has a future, but I don't know if the future is next year.
So Sam Ersson is, you know, he's played 143 games in the NHL and has an under eight- an under .900 save percentage, so that is not somebody who s- who screams a starter, for, for the Leafs.
So right now their goaltending is in flux, which could mean that there's another move that's gonna be made before the beginning of the season.
But I look at this where Andre is a mobile defenseman.
Chaika talked in his opening press conference about getting more mobile on the blue line.
He will do that.
they clear five, almost $5 million in cap space with this trade.
They add another draft pick.
So this could mean that they're gonna be active in free agency or maybe they're gonna, you know, flip draft p- draft choices someplace else to add a player.
I, I, right now, you know, the first move, it's sort of if it's an entree to other moves, okay, but I think right now this is a move that doesn't make a lot of sense, and I think is a loss for the Maple Leafs.
