Subj : Maple Leafs Keefe Tells Fans to Watch Out for Michael Hutchinson
To : All
From : The Hockey Writers - Main
Date : Fri Jan 29 2021 04:40 am
When Michael Hutchinson signed a two-year, two-way contract with the Toronto
Maple Leafs during the offseason, most Maple Leafs fans believed that general
manager Kyle Dubas was simply setting the team up for the Seattle Kraken draft
where the organization would expose Hutchinson as a possibility for the Kraken.
How things have changed recently.Related: Maple Leafs News & Rumors:
Hutchinson, Andersen, Marner & Anderson
Hutchinson's contract carries an NHL average annual value of $725,000, which is
still a bargain.�He began the�2019-20 season with the team and played in 15
games with the big club and four AHL games with the Toronto Marlies. After
Hutchinson was traded to the Colorado Avalanche, he played one regular-season
match before being placed in the middle of the playoff action, where he played
in four games during the postseason.Michael Hutchinson, Toronto Maple Leafs
(Jess Starr/The Hockey Writers)
Hutchinson showed well during the playoffs when he nearly led the Avalanche to
a Stanley Cup Final. In fact, his back-to-back wins in Game 5 and Game 6 helped
to extend his team';s season. During that process, he became only the seventh
goaltender in NHL playoff history to win his first two career postseason starts
in games when his team faced elimination. He played well.The�Maple Leafs�Are
Dressing Hutchinson�for Tonight's Game Against the Edmonton Oilers
With Jack Campbell likely sidelined for a number of weeks with a leg injury,
Hutchinson will assume the backup goalie's position with Toronto until Campbell
returns. The now 30-year-old goalie might see some time in the Maple Leafs'
net - or, perhaps not should Campbell return quickly.Jack Campbell, Toronto
Maple Leafs (Photo by Kevin Sousa/NHLI via Getty Images)
Whatever the situation, Maple Leafs' head coach Sheldon Keefe believes that the
team�should have no problem managing the goalie situation - even though it
might mean that starter Frederik Andersen will have an increased
workload.During a Sportsnet Interview, Keefe Says He's Confident in the Team's
Goalies
On the video below, fans can listen to the Maple Leafs head coach's press
conference where he discusses losing back-up goalie Campbell and talk about why
he';s not worried about the increased workload ahead for Andersen.
Keefe Has Two Reasons to Be Confident
During the interview, Keefe was asked how his team would adapt after Campbell
was injured during the Calgary Flames' game on Sunday and after Aaron Dell was
claimed off waivers by the New Jersey Devils. As a result of those two losses -
one by injury and one through waivers - the team's goalie situation had
changed dramatically. Only last week, the team had four NHL goalies: now they
have only two goalies.Related: Top 3 All-Time Maple Leafs Goalies
Keefe offered a standard response in that the team can only control what it can
control, and "that';s the game." He noted that, during the offseason, "you try
to set yourself up with as much depth as possible to deal with whatever might
come (y)our way." But he noted that the situation might not be as bad as it
looked from the outside for two reasons.
The first reason, as Keefe noted, was that "the way the schedule sets up here
… is pretty favorable for us." He believed Andersen could handle the workload
because, as the team was "coming off of this trip, we';re going to have a
little break and then we don';t have any back-to-backs … for awhile."Frederik
Andersen, Toronto Maple Leafs (Amy Irvin / The Hockey Writers)
As a result of the schedule Keefe believed "we';re set up pretty well there."
The second reason might surprise Maple Leafs' fans. Keefe offered an insight
that fans might not fully agree with. However, Keefe's logic is considered. He
noted that "Hutch will be there as the backup" until the team gets "Soupy back
to health whenever we can and whenever he';s feeling up to it."
Then Keefe noted that he has lots of confidence in both Fred and Hutch. Keefe
pointed out the fact that "You look at Hutch: I think there';s only one (other)
player on our roster that was winning games in the second round of the
playoffs last year (that was Zach Bogosian, who helped the Tampa Bay Lightning
win the Stanley Cup).Related: Toronto Maple Leafs News & Rumors: Brodie,
Rielly, Hutchinson & More
From Keefe's perspective, Hutch is "coming in here with a different level of
confidence than what he had the last time around."If He Plays, Which Hutchinson
Will Show Up?
Should Hutchinson play, it will be interesting to see which one shows up.
Should it be the confident Hutchinson, who last postseason had success with the
Avalanche, the Maple Leafs are laughing. As a fan, one can only hope.
The post Maple Leafs'; Keefe Tells Fans to Watch Out for Michael Hutchinson
appeared first on The Hockey Writers.
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