Freddie Andersen has been one of the top 2 goalies in the entire NHL for the month of december and has now got his save % to .929, the Leafs indeed finally have a great goalie again and this guy is entering his prime by goalie standards for the next 5-7 years. The Leafs defense is by no means the best or even close to being the best in the NHL so the way Freddie is manning the net is even more eye opening. They have had so many games where they only let in 1-2 goals as of late.
Auston Matthews quietly is leading all rookies in voting for the rookie of the year with Mitch Marner, Laine and Nylander on his tail. Matthews does everything well, not just get goals which he now has 16, plays a stellar 2way game, leads by example and is a coaches dream.
Andersen is only 27 years old and was the co-winner of the Jennings trophy last season and the league's best goalie tandem. He was a runner-up for the Calder trophy two years ago. The Viking has been nothing short of a monster over the past 2 months!! He had a tough October, but it was expected considering he missed his entire training camp due to an injury suffered during a World Cup elimination game. In November he was extremely good, but in December he was literally unbeatable and easily a top 2 goalie in the league! Lou Lamoriello now looks like a genius for signing him to a reasonable 5-year contarct!! Well done, Lou!!! :thumb:
Auston Matthews has been nothing short of remarkable throughout his very young NHL career. He's already a dominant center and the other day a hockey panel couldn't find a single fault in his game. He's already a great two-way player and lately has shown that he also has the potential to be a prolific scorer. Many are predicting that he'll end up with more goals than Patrick Laine by the end of the season and he's the odds-on favorite to win the Calder trophy.
The Leafs lead the league in the highest number of rookies in the lineup and what's astonishing is that they're all leading the team on its way to contention! They've all impressed tremendously: Matthews, Marner, Brown, Zaitsev, Nylander, Hyman, etc. The Leafs have a great future up ahead!!! The habs?? Not a single rookie in their regular starting lineup, and the injury-prone Carey Price is not only getting older, but he'll be expecting a big pay raise two years from now. People are predicting $10 million or more. That'll greatly affect the team's cap, considering Galchenyuk and Pacioretty will also be expecting a considerable pay raise by the same time.
In other news, the Leafs have been open to offers for forward James Van Riemsdyk, who will be UFA two years from now and will likely be receiving offers in the $7 million range. He's big, he can score, he can skate and has great hands, which should make him attractive to many teams. He is also a very well-liked player, which should make him an instant fit in any dressing room. The Leafs are rumoured to be looking for a top defenceman to boost their defence. Cam Fowler's name has been floated around. Many believe JVR would prefer playing on the east coast at some time in order to be closer to his family. But for the time being, he'd be an extremely great asset for any contending team.