The Toronto Maple Leafs will wait until summer to discuss the future of backup Petr Mrazek – but he is getting interest from other teams.
Mrazek, 29, signed a three-year contract with with the Leafs in July worth $3.8 million annually, but has been hobbled by injury and only lately returned to the regular rotation.
"There's been a lot of speculation about the future of Mrazek with the Maple Leafs considering the Vezina-type season that Jack Campbell is having," Sportsnet's Jeff Marek said during the 32 Thoughts segment on Hockey Night in Canada on Saturday. "I checked around on this and there's been no discussion initiated by the Toronto Maple Leafs about Petr Mrazek. They see him as part of the program for this season.
"However, there have been some teams that have called the Maple Leafs and said, Look, if you're looking to make a move with that goaltender, give us a call, we are interested. Very much there is a marketplace for Petr Mrazek but for (GM) Kyle Dubas, all goaltending decisions are summer decisions."
However, the Maple Leafs are among the teams in the running to sign free-agent goaltender Mack Guzda, 21, who is an overager for the Barrie Colts of the OHL after he was acquired from the Owen Sound Attack. Guzda, a native of Knoxville, Tenn., is having an outstanding season, posting an 11-2 record, a 1.89 goals-against average and a whopping .935 save percentage. And he's six-foot-five, 205 pounds.
"(Guzda) is someone that the Maple Leafs are very much trying to sign," Marek said on 32 Thoughts. "Their pursuit, I'm told, is very aggressive. They met with the netminder this week, I believe on Thursday, but they're not the only team trying to sign this netminder, who's having a great season in the OHL. The Penguins, the Rangers, the Preds are all considered frontrunners but also the Ducks, Islanders and Carolina Hurricanes are said to be interested."
