Goalie Michael Hutchinson returns to the Maple Leafs!

Goalie Michael Hutchinson is back as a member of the Toronto Maple Leafs, folks. On Friday, the Maple Leafs signed the veteran goaltender to a two-year, two-way deal with average annual value of $725,000 at the NHL level.

The 30-year-old was the backup goalie to Frederik Andersen at the start of the 2019-20, in which he split his time between the Maple Leafs and the Colorado Avalanche as he ended up in Denver at the trade deadline. He managed to post a 5-9-1 record, posting a 3.47 goals-against average and a .888 save percentage. He took part in four playoff games with the Avalanche, going 2-1 with a .910 save percentage.

In 127 career NHL games with the Winnipeg Jets, Florida Panthers, Leafs and Avalanche, Hutchinson has a 51-52-14 record with a 2.80 GAA and a .905 save percentage.

This is the second move the Maple Leafs have pulled in between the pipes since the opening of free agency. The team also signed Aaron Dell, who signed a one-year deal earlier this month.

The 31-year-old played in 33 games with the San Jose Sharks in 2019-20, and posted a 12-15-3 record with a 3.01 goals-against average and a .907 save percentage. 

In 107 career NHL contests with San Jose, Dell owns a 48-34-12 record with a 2.76 goals-against average, a .908 save percentage and five shutouts.

He originally signed as a free agent in San Jose back on March 4, 2015.
The Leafs therefore get an experienced No. 3 for the organization. This will surely created some some healthy competition in Toronto, which could push all three goalies to perform well for the upcoming season.