Porter's Weekly Leafland Talk: Should The Leafs Claim Manny Legace Off Waivers?

The Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending issue this year has been well documented in the media, which is why I believe Toronto should claim St.Louis goaltender Manny Legace off waivers should he be placed on re-entry waivers by the Blues.

Manny has a Stanley Cup under his belt from 2002 and won’t be a long term cap hit. He currently makes $2.5 million but only has a $2,150,000 salary cap hit.

I am not saying Manny is the long term fix, but he could possibly help with this season. With Legace on the roster Toronto could have the flexibility to give goalie Vesa Toskala a couple weeks off to really nurse the groin injury that has bothered him all season, thus giving Toronto a healthy Toskala with the potential to return to his former self.

If Toskala does get healthy that could give GM Brian Burke the negotiating leverage to go to a team with healthy Toskala and maybe just trade Vesa to get a good return.

If not, Legace’s contract is up at the end of this season and it is done with.

Another option could be that Burke trades Legace to a team who is suddenly in need of a back up goaltender at the deadline and the Leafs pull out a fourth or fifth round pick in return.

Another option reported this time by “The Fourth Period” and “CBC’s Hockey Night In Canada,” is that the Leafs as well as the Calgary Flames may be interested in bringing in former Ottawa goaltender Ray Emery as a back up goaltender. Emery is currently in North America after refusing to return to the KHL until he is paid his owed salary. If an NHL team does sign him he’ll have to clear waivers like Columbus goalie Wade Dubielewicz did when he signed with the NY Islanders earlier this season.