Leafs sign a new (future Vezina winning?) goaltender

What we know of Källgren comes largely from Cat Silverman’s writeup on him in The Athletic from a couple of years ago when Källgren  was part of the Coyotes organization. Here’s a few interesting tidbits from that article:

Chayka told The Athletic that the decision was made by the goaltending staff, who specifically recommended Kallgren’s addition to the pipeline this year. “I had tasked our goaltending group – Corey Schwab, Zac Bierk, Clayton Adams and our entire staff – with deciding who are the people we want to continue to invest in and have the greatest growth potential to take that next step. That group is very passionate about Erik and thinks he has significant upside; lots of room to grow his game. They recommended we sign him and give him an opportunity.”

What to watch for: The transition to North America. The smaller ice surface makes for tighter plays and faster decision-making around the net — and even though the difference in timing is just seconds, that can feel like years for a goaltender. Learning to react to the pace of play and release styles at the AHL level will be the biggest step for Kallgren; although he’s proved that he can play as a pro, there’s still a big gap between the European leagues and the North American ones when it comes to how a goaltender will perform. His ability to transition effectively and confidently will play a huge role in where he fits into the depth chart long-term.