The Maple Leafs are suddenly shopping for a fifth goalie, and this one comes with a very specific twist: Toronto has to find an Emergency Backup Goalie even though the club is already maxed out at the NHL’s 50-contract limit.
The new league rule has changed how teams handle the EBUG spot. Instead of the old setup that could produce a one-night legend like David Ayres, every team now has to sign a designated emergency goalie.
A handful of clubs around the league have already done it. The Leafs have not, and it’s a decision John Chayka will need to sort out soon.
The good news for Toronto is that this extra goalie does not count against an NHL Standard Player Contract. That matters because the Maple Leafs are already using all 50 of their available SPC slots. So while they need a fifth netminder, they do not have to give up one of those precious contract spots to get him.
Right now, Toronto’s goalie group includes Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz, who are expected to open the season as the tandem. Behind them are Artur Akhtyamov and Samual Hlavaj with the Marlies. But neither of those two can fill the emergency role.
The EBUG comes with strict rules. He cannot have played an NHL game under an SPC, cannot have more than 80 professional games, cannot have played professionally within the last three seasons, and cannot be on a team’s reserve list. That’s why Akhtyamov and Hlavaj are out of the running even though they are real organizational depth pieces with legitimate professional contracts.
There’s also a different kind of flexibility built into the job. The Leafs can choose someone who already works in the organization, and around the league some teams are using scouts, analysts, video staff, and equipment personnel for the role.
And unlike the old days, this goalie is not just sitting around waiting for an emergency call. The EBUG will travel with the team and be ready for both home and road games. He can also be used in practice, which gives Toronto a little more breathing room by easing the load on Bobrovsky and Stolarz before games.
In the end, the assignment for the Maple Leafs is pretty straightforward: find an eligible emergency goalie who fits the rulebook without forcing the team to juggle its current roster. Their fifth goalie will live outside the usual depth chart, and outside the 50-contract count too.
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The real debate is whether his game is best served in the top six or as the driver of a deeper line where he can tilt the ice in a different way. Knies showed more of that playmaking side when Matthews was injured, which only adds another wrinkle to the discussion about where he belongs once the lineup is fully healthy. Jim Hiller will ultimately decide how aggressive he wants to be with the forward combinations, and the answer could shape one of Toronto's most important depth questions. [Read more 🡒]