The Toronto Maple Leafs have locked up part of their goaltending depth, re-signing Kasimir Kaskisuo to a two-year, two-way contract with an average annual value of $675K in the NHL. Kaskisuo was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this summer, after spending the 2017-18 season in the minor leagues. The 24-year old goaltender spent most of the season on loan to the Chicago Wolves, since Garret Sparks and Calvin Pickard were given the jobs with the Toronto Marlies.
Signed out of the NCAA in 2016, Kaskisuo may be the forgotten goaltender among Maple Leafs fans. While the other four names ahead of him on the depth chart have found immediate success in Toronto, Kaskisuo has had to battle in different cities to prove he has what it takes at the professional level. Playing for the Orlando Solar Bears in the ECHL and now the Wolves this season, the Finnish goaltender would need to take some big steps forward to overtake Sparks or Pickard in the pecking order. Either that, or Toronto is thinking about moving one of the two minor league goaltenders this offseason.
Sparks is under contract for another season and has shown he’s ready for the NHL, while Pickard is a restricted free agent this summer. Though the team doesn’t desperately need the former Colorado Avalanche goaltender for their minor league club, he still presents an experienced option to step in and play some NHL games if necessary. Curtis McElhinney, the current NHL backup, is now 35 years old and could take a step backwards at any time. All of this uncertainty is a positive for Kaskisuo, who likely just wants a chance to prove himself for the Marlies.