Toronto Maple Leafs trading goaltender this offseason

John Chayka doesn't have much choice, he's going to be trading one of his goaltenders this offseason.

The freshly minted Maple Leafs general manager is as trade happy as anyone in the league and in order to shore up the Leafs defense core, and find some more depth up front, Chayka's going to have to pull from an area of strength and move one of his goaltenders.

The Maple Leafs have four goalies under contract for next season and right now, the most likely to not be traded is Joseph Woll. He's proven time and time again he's a big game goalie and his contract is very reasonable at just $3.6 million AAV for two more seasons. It's a contract Chayka can work with in the short term and long term and it's the other three goalies under contract who are prime trade candidates.

Specifically, Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby are on the block. Stolarz has finally found a home in Toronto and is about to start a new contract that takes him through the 2030 season at $3.7 million AAV. Stolarz has some trade protection with a 16-team no-trade clause, and the only concern about him is his availability. He's battled a slew of injuries throughout the last few years and frankly, the Maple Leafs need to move in another direction and use Stolarz' trade value to shore up their bottom six and/or add depth on defense.

Hildeby, on the other hand, has come into his own with the Maple Leafs' organization and that includes spending a lot of time developing in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies. Hildeby's under contract at $841,667 through the 2028 season and at just 24 years old, there's going to be a number of teams who see Hildeby as a backup option next season.

As far as trade destinations go for either goaltender, the Philadelphia Flyers, Ottawa Senators, Edmonton Oilers, and New York Rangers are in the market for either a 1-B starter or a pure backup.

Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers