Leafs’ Hutchinson has been given one last chance

Backup goalie Michael Hutchinson has yet to win a game in between the pipes for the Toronto Maple Leafs, and he was expected to play during the team’s Western Canadian road trip this past week, but head coach Sheldon Keefe did not use him once.

In fact, Keefe has turned to Hutchinson just once in 12 games since replacing Mike Babcock as coach, but has decided to give the veteran backup one last chance on Saturday when the Leafs will face the Detroit Red Wings. 

“He has had opportunities, they haven’t come of late,” said  Keefe to reporters ahead of Friday’s game against the New York Rangers. “We wish we could’ve got Freddy a break in there. We put him in back-to-backs (at Andersen’s insistence two weeks ago) and that’s where Hutch lost a start.

“Since then, the schedule has been (spread out) for us and Hutch has had an excellent set of practices. His demeanor has been good and the feedback from (goalie coach) Steve Briere has been excellent.”

We know Keefe was the one to give Hutchinson a second chance when he called him back from the minors once Babcock was dismissed. However, tomorrow will be the true test to see if the Leafs need to seriously consider a move for an upgrade in between the pipes. 

The Leafs are focused on making the postseason, but will have to consider what this takes in the long run. When asked about his lack of play. Hutchinson preferred to focus on the success of his started Freddie Anderson and the team. 

That’s what matters, sure, but we wonder how Hutchinson truly feels about the opportunity to make a statement on Saturday. If he doesn’t, he could end up back in the minors and the Leafs look for the right solution in net.