Why Sidney Crosby Should Play Goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs

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The Toronto Maple Leafs haven`t purposely sought incapable goaltenders but it seems like since the Curtis Joseph glory days the team has struggled in net. Some might argue that Ed Belfour had a few good years after Cu-Jo left, but at his age he clearly wasn`t going to be the long-term solution. Andrew Raycroft wasn`t the guy either. It`s true he holds a franchise record for 37 wins in a seasons but he played in 72 games that season(06-07). It`s easy for those who hate Leafs nation to point out that the Leafs traded Tuukka Rask for Raycroft, but don`t forget that Raycroft was rookie of the year when he came into the NHL. The problem is that right now Raycroft plays in Italy while Rask is on the verge of becoming a superstar goalie for one of the best teams in the NHL...

Vesa Toskala, Jonas Gustavsson and others couldn`t get the job done. Toronto is one of the most difficult cities to play hockey in. I don`t doubt that these goalies might have had the athletic ability to be a consistent number 1 in the NHL, but they clearly couldn`t handle the fans and media pressure that comes with Leafs nation.


James Reimer is considered the Leafs number 1 goalie right now. He says the right things in front of the camera, and appears to be quite hard-working. But he only has a total of 34 NHL wins. This makes him a very promising prospect at best, not a number 1 goalie for a huge market team that`s dying to make the playoffs (in what`s become a very competitive division and conference). It`s a huge risk to ask Reimer to play upwards of 60 games and expect the type of consistency that has some experts thinking he could be an all-star. Ben Scrivens is in a similar position. He`s been one of the best goalies in the AHL recently which is very promising. But that doesn`t mean he can jump into the number 1 role for the Leafs. I worry that the pressure in Toronto will ruin Reimer and Scrivens before they have a chance to develop and reach their full potential.

The Leafs don`t have a problem scoring goals. And their defensive core is respectable (at least on paper). But they need a goalie that is consistent and can bail them out once in a while. The Leafs need a proven number 1 NHL goalie if they`re going to make the playoffs (assuming the season ever starts). They need someone who can play in a pressure cooker.


Clearly, Brian Burke isn`t willing to give up any of the undrafted U.S. college kids he thinks are going to turn into NHL superstars to trade for a proven goalie... I`ve watched video clips of Sidney Crosby playing goalie in practice. Burke should go after Crosby in a trade and stick him in goal for Toronto. I`m confident it would be an improvement from the past few seasons. And Sid could handle the pressure...


-Kirk Lougheed

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