"There's no doubt about it, t's almost like the Toronto Maple Leafs have two separate teams. You have the elite offensive team with flashes of extreme high level talent, however you aso have the defensive side of the team which at times doesn't even look like it should be in the NHL. It's that problem which has seen them eliminated from the first round in the playoffs year after year and goalie Frederik Andersen hasn't exactly came close to stealing a series either. Andersen's contract is up after 2020-21 and could the Leafs' move on from him instead of an extension? James Mirtle of The Athletic believes that Andersen hasn't really been earning his cap hit and it's a serious possibility. Check out Mirtle's breakdown: "The Leafs are in a tough spot, where they really have to maximize every cap dollar they've got outside of the big guys they've committed to. If this is how they want to win, they need everyone else to play up to their contracts. Or above them. Andersen wasn't that this season. No, he doesn't cost a fortune, but at $5 million, he had the 11th highest cap hit of a regular starter in the league. His save percentage ranked 26th among goaltenders who played at least 30 games. So a few things: Is he going to be better than that for you next season? Can you win a Cup with him in goal (his playoff performance has been underwhelming every year so far in Toronto)? Is there a plausible upgrade available this summer that might not be available next summer? The Leafs have to at least investigate their options here. As of July 1, you can talk extension with Andersen, assuming normal rules apply. If he wants a raise, you're probably moving on in 2021 anyway. If there's a trade (or a free agent) who makes sense now, why wait until then?"
