With two Stanley Cups and 97 playoff games, Goodrow could be a solid depth piece that could help the Maple Leafs. But the price may be a little too high.
With two Stanley Cups and 97 playoff games, Goodrow could be a solid depth piece that could help the Maple Leafs. But the price may be a little too high.
It was a bit of a surprise Tuesday afternoon when it was learned that the New York Rangers put forward Barclay Goodrow on waivers.
The 31-year-old scored six times and added two assists in 16 playoff games during the New York Rangers' run to the Eastern Conference Final. The player's contributions to the team were obvious. However, his $3,641,667 salary cap hit was deemed a bit too high for a Rangers team that has less than $10 million in cap space with the money needed to shore up their defensive depth.
From a regular-season standpoint, Goodrow's production isn't great with four goals and eight assists in 12 games. But from what he brings from a playoff perspective, it might be worth it for the Maple Leafs to put in a claim.
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Examining a claim scenario for the Maple Leafs
If the Maple Leafs put in a claim and were successful, he could easily fit on the team's penalty kill. Beyond Mitch Marner and David Kampf, the Leafs struggled to find a consistent tandem of forwards on the second unit. Toronto was 23rd on the PK last season. The Rangers had the third-best penalty kill in 2023-24. He brings it all.
Moot point with San Jose's Reported Interest?
The San Jose Sharks have a higher waiver priority than the Maple Leafs on account of having a worse record last season while the New York Post and Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman indicated that the San Jose Sharks could be quick to claim the forward as they look to try and add veterans to a young core that will have the likes of projected No. 1 overall pick in the 2024 NHL Draft Macklin Celebrini.
Goodrow would be a solid add but the salary cap hit might be a touch too high. Even still, it's likely teams like San Jose that are higher in the waiver wire priority put in a claim. If nobody claims Goodrow by 2 p.m. on. Wednesday, the forward becomes a buyout candidate. There is also the possibility that teams negotiated a trade where the Rangers could retain some money to make the deal more palatable.
With two Stanley Cups and 97 playoff games, Goodrow's contributions would be great for Toronto. It just doesn't look like it's going to get there.
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