The Toronto Maple Leafs have recently lost some depth in their goaltending lineup, as former goalie Keith Petruzzelli has signed with a new team. The Leafs’ goaltending situation has been unstable in recent seasons, and heading into the 2024-25 season, there’s been another shakeup. According to a new post on X, Petruzzelli, who spent the last three seasons with the Maple Leafs organization, has signed an AHL deal with the Lehigh Valley Phantoms.

Petruzzelli, who first joined the Leafs after leaving Quinnipiac University, initially played in the ECHL with the Newfoundland Growlers. He spent a full season there before moving to the AHL in 2022-23, where he posted a 2.90 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage over 25 games. Last season, as the backup for the Marlies, his stats declined to a 3.55 goals-against average and a .867 save percentage.

With Petruzzelli moving on, the Marlies will need to find new goaltending options in the AHL. Fortunately, a group of promising prospects is expected to step up.

The Maple Leafs have been focusing on goaltending through the draft in recent years. Among the prospects are:

1. Artur Ahktyamov, a Russian goalie who played primarily in the KHL last season, boasting a 2.51 goals-against average and a .921 save percentage in 17 games. At 22 years old, he has significant potential and could be a key future player for the Leafs.

2. Dennis Hildeby, who was the AHL starter for the Marlies last year. Standing at 6’7″, Hildeby played his first full North American season in 2023-24, with stats similar to Ahktyamov’s: a 2.41 goals-against average and a .913 save percentage in 41 games. He is expected to be the Marlies’ starting goalie and might see NHL action if needed.

3. Vyacheslav Peska, the youngest of the trio at 21 years old. Peska played 19 games in the ECHL with the Newfoundland Growlers after arriving in North America in 2023-24. He is expected to continue his development primarily in the ECHL, with occasional call-ups to the Marlies.

Despite losing Petruzzelli, the Marlies appear well-positioned with their goaltending talent. It will be intriguing to see how the absence of a veteran goalie affects the development of these promising young players.