TSN’s Pierre LeBrun sparked an intriguing debate on Thursday’s OverDrive when he floated a bold scenario involving the Toronto Maple Leafs. With Igor Shesterkin potentially resetting the market for goaltenders, LeBrun asked if the Leafs should consider pursuing him if they exit the playoffs early and Mitch Marner remains unsigned.
“If the Leafs get bounced out in the first round and Marner hasn’t signed yet, and Shesterkin hasn’t signed yet, and it’s July 1… what do you do?” LeBrun questioned, seemingly hinting that a top-tier goaltender like Shesterkin might be a better investment. With the way the Maple Leafs roster is constructed, extending an elite forward to a core that hasn’t produced postseason success seems unwise.
The hosts of the show agreed.
Jeff O’Neill could see where LeBrun was going with the question and showed support for the idea at that point. If the Leafs failed again in the playoffs, O’Neill was open to making the move. Bryan Hayes was more insistent, suggesting that chasing Shesterkin should be mandatory. Hayes emphasized that it wouldn’t necessarily be Marner’s fault, but the core would need a shakeup at that point.
Woll Is The Wildcard In This Marner-for-Shesterkin Theory
One wildcard in this scenario is Joseph Woll. Jamie McLennan played devil’s advocate and offered another scenario. Asking what happens if the young goaltender steps up during the playoffs, could he make a Shesterkin pursuit unnecessary?
Hayes admitted that a strong performance from Woll would be ideal because he’s significantly cheaper than Shesterkin, who could command $11-12 million per season. McLennan then suggested going after a different forward, but also a high-profile forward.
Ultimately, everyone involved in the conversation seemed to believe that Marner would stay put for the season but that an extension wasn’t a given. Meanwhile, in New York, where Shesterkin has drawn a line in the sand, he’s turned down a very lucrative offer from the Rangers and could test free agency. It would be at the end of the season if both players remained unsigned that things could get extremely interesting.
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