Report: Babcock makes a surprising line up ahead of Predators match up.

The Toronto Maple Leafs may have landed upon some rather unexpected good fortune. 

Just before the new year the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that they had struck a deal with the Florida Panthers in order to bring in veteran backup goaltender Michael Hutchinson. The move was not driven by the Maple Leafs' desire to acquire a solid backup goaltender to replace their current crop of goalies, but rather it was a move that was motivated by the fact that the Leafs were dealing with injuries at the position, notably to starting goaltender Frederik Andersen. That being said all it had cost the Leafs was a fifth round draft pick in the 2020 National Hockey League Entry Draft so at the end of the day it was a very low risk rental option for the Leafs while they rested up their injuries. 

Hutchinson had been rather underwhelming during his time with the Panthers so there's little doubt in my mind that the Panthers were happy to facilitate his exit given that they were getting some kind of tangible return, and when Hutchinson joined the Toronto Marlies it looked like more of the same. In his one outing in the American Hockey League with the Marlies Hutchinson posted a 3.87 goals against average and an .886 save percentage, but given the Leafs needs in goal he ended up getting a shot at the NHL level anyways.

As you will know by now Hutchinson has been a revelation for the Leafs in net since joining them at the NHL level and through his first two games he has a much improved 2.05 goals against average and a drastically improved save percentage of .935. There's no question that Hutchinson has been impressive and he has stated that securing a win as a Leafs goalie was a childhood dream of his which may have provided him with an extra motivational boost during his time with the Leafs. 

Whatever the reason for his strong performances though it seems that Hutchinson's solid play has caught the eye of head coach Mike Babcock who made a surprising decision on Sunday. According to a report from Joshua Kloke of The Athletic Babcock has announced that Hutchinson will be given another start in goal when the Leafs face off against a tough Nashville Predators squad this upcoming Monday. It's a big sign of confidence in Hutchinson and it may be an indication that if the veteran backup continues to play as well as he currently has, he could compete for the job behind starter Frederik Andersen.

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