Saint Nik said:Busta Reims said:Well, in my mind, the issue is this - for those teams fighting for the last couple playoff spots, the difference between qualifying for the post season or golfing in early April could very easily come down to the relative quality of each individual back up goalie, especially if that back up starts 20-25 games in the season. With that being said, based on his career with the Leafs, I'm not confident that Gustavsson can perform well enough in that role in order to vault the Leafs into a playoff spot if they're in that position.
But the question still stands. Which back-up goalies are you supremely confident in can play that well? Boucher? Budaj? Hedberg? Mason? Back-up goalies are dice rolls. Gus is as well.
And personally, the way Reimer has played is way more troubling for the team's immediate playoff hopes than Gus. If Reimer isn't flat-out stealing games, the Leafs have a long road.
Reimer can't steal. It's against his Mennonite upbringing.