Maple Leafs Writer Blames Frederik Andersen For Team's Woes

The Toronto Maple Leafs have quickly fallen from the top of the NHL standings. They maintained a winning percentage of 0.792%, but are now in 7th place with a 0.667 winning percentage. Leafs Nation was planning the Stanley Cup parade two weeks ago, but now many are calling for the team to be dismantled. James Mirtle of The Athletlic believes one simple goalie change will end the Leafs' woes.

Frederik Andersen has maintained a 0.900 save percentage over 22 games this season. He was underwhelming last season and has proven to be a liability instead of an asset. He is a league leader in games played, games started, and shots faced over the past two seasons, but his save percentage is far below the expectations of a starting goaltender on a contending team. He is ranked 28th out of 43 consistent NHL goaltenders, which is hardly an average placement.

Traditional stats are supported by modern analytics. Andersen ranks 29th in Goals Saved Above Average (GSAA) with a minus 4.24 over the last 2 seasons. Additionally, he ranks 37th in goals saved above expected (GSA), which is the most reliable goaltending statistic available. This means Andersen is below average in stopping high quality shots and is at the bottom of the league for saving more goals than expected.

Andersen is the 12th highest paid goaltender at $5 million. This is not unreasonable, but his statistics are aligned with goalies such as Braden Holtby and Carey Price. Statistically, Johnathan Bernier and James Reimer have been better for their respective teams than Andersen has for the Leafs.

The Maple Leafs have a goalie problem and it needs to be rectified if they have any realistic playoff expectations

Mirtle: What’s wrong with the Maple Leafs? And how much of it is on Frederik Andersen? https://t.co/pdYsFOJpZB
— The Athletic Toronto (@TheAthleticTO) March 15, 2021