Who has edge in net come playoff time?
After acquiring David Rittich at the deadline to be their No. 3 starter, the Maple Leafs may have the deepest goaltending in the NHL. But whether they have the best goaltending in the league is a different question altogether.
Would you give Toronto the edge against Tampa Bay's Andrei Vasilevskiy? Would you put Jack Campbell and Frederik Andersen ahead of Vegas' Marc-Andre Fleury and Robin Lehner? How about Colorado's Philipp Grubauer?
In a North Division that includes Winnipeg's Connor Hellebuyck, Edmonton's Mike Smith and Montreal's Carey Price, the Maple Leafs might not even have the best goaltending in Canada.
Here is a look at how the playoff-bound Canadian team rank in the category that means the most come playoff time:
1) WINNIPEG
The Jets didn't get a top-four defenceman at the deadline. But when you've got a reigning Vezina Trophy winner cleaning up any mistakes in the defensive end, you don't need to. Hellebuyck, who is putting up similar numbers to last year, remains a topfive goalie in the NHL.
In case of emergency: Heading into Wednesday's game against Montreal, Laurent Brossoit was 5-3-0 with a .919 save percentage. But of those five wins, only one came against playoff-bound team.
2) MONTREAL
We keep saying that Carey Price isn't the same goalie who won the Hart Trophy six years ago. And yet, as the Penguins can attest, you never know when he's going to flip the switch and steal a series for you. Since the Habs hired Sean Burke, Price's save percentage has improved from .887 to .920.
In case of emergency: Jake Allen has better numbers than Price this year, plus he has won a Stanley Cup — although it was in a strictly backup role.
3) TORONTO
Jack Campbell has a 1.98 goals-against average and a .930 save percentage. But having played just 12 games, he is the definition of a small sample size. Frederik Andersen, meanwhile, has been hurt all year and hasn't won a playoff round since joining the Leafs.
In case of emergency: David Rittich is the best No. 3 goalie in the NHL. Then again, if the Leafs are relying on their No. 3, something major has gone wrong.
4) EDMONTON
Yes, Mike Smith is 39 years old. But with a 14-4-2 record and a .918 save percentage, he isn't playing like someone whose career is winding down. If there's a concern, it's that he has managed to win only two playoff rounds in his career.
In case of emergency: Only nine goalies have a worse goals-against average than Mikko Koskinen, who has three playoff games under his belt.