The Leafs' Goalie Merry-Go-Round

Since the 2005-06 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have gone through goalies almost as often as one would change their underwear. From the last season of Ed Belfour to Jonathan Bernier, the Leafs seemingly can never find the right goalie, even when the answer is right in their face. Yesterday, you can add Frederik Andersen to the list of goalies the Leafs have or will have tried, as the Leafs acquired his rights from Anaheim for a couple of draft picks and later signed him to a five year deal.

How did it come to this? Since the lockout, the Leafs have gone with Belfour, Mikael Tellqvist, and Jean -Sebastian Aubin in 2005-06, traded for Andrew Raycroft after that season for 2005 first round pick Tuukka Rask, traded for Vesa Toskala the following off-season, signed Jonas Gustafson the off-season after that, traded for Jean -Sebastien Giguere during the 2009-10 season, went with the unheralded James Reimer at some point the following season, played career AHL goalie Ben Scrivens, and traded for Bernier.

In that time between finding a successor to Belfour and Andersen, the Leafs had the answer in front of them twice, one long term in Rask, and Reimer, traded for relatively unproven players in Toskala and Bernier, signed an oft-injured player in Gustavsson, and have had countless other short term goalies dot their roster.

In trading for Andersen, the Leafs traded from their surplus of picks, which marks a difference that they often mortgaged their future for short term immediate success. This time around, they still have plenty of picks and a very good group of prospects that will soon be joined by Auston Matthews come Friday. Plus, with Andersen, he comes with a fairly impressive record despite splitting time with John Gibson and has proven to be a good playoff performer. The Leafs put a bet that it will hold true for five years. As for Bernier, it will either push him to be better or be an admission of another mistake by the previous management.