Screen Shots: Leafs' Goaltending Thrives, Panthers Likely to be Buyers, Coyotes Still Struggling25/2/2024 ![]() Adam Pro Toe discusses what Toronto's goaltending uprise means for the deadline, what the Panthers' plans are given their solid record as of late and how it is finally time for the Coyotes to blow it all up and avoid relocation.
Welcome to another edition of Screen Shots, an ongoing THN.com column in which we break down a few hockey topics and write about them in a handful of paragraphs. Let’s get right to it:
Leafs' Goal Tending Struggles Turn to Triumph Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll is closer to returning to the NHL, appearing for the AHL’s Toronto Marlies this week as he works to overcome a high-ankle sprain that’s kept him sidelined since Dec. 7. And suddenly, the Leafs have to deal with a problem most other teams would love to have – a slew of goaltending depth. With Ilya Samsonov and Martin Jones giving Toronto some tremendous performances in Woll’s absence, there’s no longer a dire need to address the team’s net minding. And because of that, we’re taking the Leafs off of our radar when it comes to acquiring a veteran goalie leading up to the NHL’s March. 8 trade deadline. Buds GM Brad Treliving only has a handful of draft picks, prospects and cap space the organisation is comfortable parting ways with, and with the goaltending about to be as good as it’s been in many a year, Treliving can focus on adding help – first and foremost, on defence, and after that, potentially adding depth up front at forward. As per Puck Pedia, the Leafs currently have approximately $2.1 million in cap space, and to bring in a highly-valued new piece of the puzzle, Toronto may need a trade partner to retain some salary to make a deal work under the cap. That dependence will almost certainly require Treliving to boost his offers to include a first-round draft pick and a prospect like current Marlies star Nick Abruzzese. And if the player Toronto targets is signed beyond this season, the Leafs will probably have to improve their offers to get a meaningful deal done. But back to where we began this section – Woll’s return. Considering how solid Woll was before the injury – including a 2.80 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in 15 appearances – Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe can breathe easy that he’ll have as many options between the pipes as possible. If injuries rear their head again, Toronto has terrific depth in net, and for that reason, while there’s a slight chance Treliving acquires a veteran goalie, it’s far more likely the Leafs stick with the trio they’ve got. Red Hot Chili Panthers Likely Buyers at the Deadline Despite losing a 1-0 game to Carolina Thursday, the Florida Panthers once again look like world-beaters, going 10-2-0 in their past dozen games and breathing down the collective neck of the Atlantic-Division-leading Boston Bruins. That said, like every team in hockey’s best league, the Panthers have their flaws – not to mention the injuries they’re now dealing with. Star winger Matthew Tkachuk will miss Florida’s game Saturday against Washington, and though his injury isn’t expected to keep him out for very long, the top spot in the Atlantic may come down to one or two standings points. That makes it imperative for the Panthers to keep rolling the way they have. If they don’t, it’s not like they have much in the way of cap space, draft picks and prospects to outbid other suitors. Florida’s schedule features 12 of their remaining 25 games coming against teams that currently aren’t in a playoff position. Barring a total collapse, they’re all but locked into the playoffs, but to secure home ice advantage, they have to show resilience in the face of pressure. But they do have more than $4.39-million in cap space, and Panthers GM Bill Zito knows his team has to be all-in during the immediate days and weeks ahead. This is why you should expect Florida to be a big-time player by the deadline. Same Old Struggles for the Coyotes Finally, the Arizona Coyotes have let themselves down once again, going 0-10-1 in their past 11 games. Those regulation-time defeats almost surely will be the reason why they miss the post-season for the fourth consecutive season and the 11th time in their past 12 seasons. And now, ‘Yotes GM Bill Armstrong has to be a seller at the trade deadline, putting veterans such as winger Jason Zucker and defenceman Matt Dumba on the block for the highest bidder. To be frank, at this stage, we think there should be very few untouchables on Arizona’s roster. There are blue-chippers worth building around, but by now, there needs to be more consequences for Coyotes players than there have been in recent years. As Coyotes ownership flails away as it tries not to relocate the team, the on-ice product has continued to be less-than-thrilling. They’re not going to get a boatload of assets for Dumba or Zucker, and if they don’t shake things up with a blockbuster deal in the next two weeks or so, they should be considered to be a prime candidate to make blockbuster moves this summer. Returning the same core of talent and having the same awful results should tell everyone it’s time for large-scale change.
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