Jean-Sebastien Giguere to the Maple Leafs?: Why the Numbers Don't Add Up...

Written by: Mark “The Hard Hitter” Ritter

Well, it was only a mater of time. Rumors have been swirling on a number of Web sites that Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Brian Burke has been in contact with the Anaheim Ducks in an attempt to land veteran goaltender Jean-Sebastien Giguere.

So far, there is no indication that these rumors are anything more than fodder and, when you look at the numbers, you quickly understand why.

J.S. Giguere has two years left on his contract and the compensation/cap hit is massive. The 2009-10 season will see Giguere make $6 million. The 2010-11 season? $7 million. That’s a very significant salary cap hit for the Leafs to absorb, especially when you consider Giguere is 32 years old and coming off a less than stellar season in 2008-09.

Giguere, who had a 19-18-6 record with a 3.10 goals against average and a .900 save percentage in the 2008-09 regular season, lost his position as the Ducks No. 1 goaltender to then-backup goaltender Jonas Hiller. Hiller posted a record of 23-15-1 with a 2.39 goals-against average and a .919 save percentage and was clearly the better netminder.

Hiller followed up his successful regular season with a tremendous playoff performance in which he went 7-6 with a 2.23 goals-against average and a sparkling .943 save percentage. Hiller had arrived.

Hiller’s strong regular season and playoff performance in 2008-09 has led many to believe that the Ducks would be shopping Giguere around the NHL this season. Given the fact that Burke has tremendous links to both the Ducks and Giguere (they won a Stanley Cup together in 2006-07), the rumors always seem to swing in the direction of the Maple Leafs.

But why, with Burke trying to build a winner in Toronto and seemingly needing every penny to do so, would he want to add $13 million to his salary cap over the next two years? Why would Burke want to take a chance on a goaltender who, at 32 years old, looks to have already played his best hockey?

Further complicating matters is the fact that the Leafs' current starting goaltender, Vesa Toskala, already comes at a hefty price. His $4 million cap hit, combined with Giguere’s additional $6 million cap hit this season, would be extremely tough to manage; in fact, it would handcuff the Leafs.

So, why not include Toskala in the deal? Are you nuts? There is no way in H-E-double hockey sticks that the Ducks want an injury-prone, underachieving goaltender who seems to have lost his confidence.

And, while we are on the subject, let’s talk about “the deal” a little more, shall we? What would the Leafs have to give up in order to land Giguere? Which player(s) would the Ducks target? Mikael Grabovski? Luke Schenn? Tomas Kaberle?

Are any of you Leaf fans willing to mortgage any more of this franchises future for what quite possibly would only amount to a “quick fix”?...and that is in the best-case scenario.

The $2 million savings, a player of substance, and the prospect of having both Giguere and Toskala (he is an unrestricted free agent in 2010-11) off the books may be enticing for the Ducks, but let’s be realistic here: No NHL team wants Toskala right now, and the Leafs can ill-afford to give up on the likes of Schenn or Grabovski or lose Kaberle.

Let’s put this rumor to bed right now. It’s not going to happen. Period.

Until next time,

Peace!