LAS VEGAS – Frederik Andersen woke up Monday morning as a member of the Anaheim Ducks.
Eight hours later, he was signing a five-year contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
“It was really hectic,” Andersen said Tuesday. “It started in the morning – I got a phone call from my agent (Claude Lemieux) saying ‘there’s a trade pending a deal.’ It went pretty quick from there.”
It was a reminder about how quickly things can change in the life of a professional athlete.
The Danish goaltender seems pretty excited about the move, especially since it should establish him as an unquestioned No. 1 for the first time in his NHL career. His new $25-million contract was negotiated quickly with Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello – “no bulls—,” said Andersen – and will allow him to spend the rest of the summer focusing solely on being ready for next season.
“I was going back and forth a little bit (on contract talks) with Anaheim and it was dragging on a little bit,” said Andersen. “I figured (a trade) could be a possibility, so I wasn’t too shocked. I was very excited once the deal got done and I knew where I was going to be next year.”
Andersen is in Las Vegas to accept the Jennings Trophy along with former partner John Gibson at the NHL’s Awards show on Wednesday night. That nod goes to the tandem with the fewest goals allowed each season.
It was the strong play of both of those men that forced the Ducks to move Andersen. There simply wasn’t enough playing time to go around and, with an expansion draft looming next June, Anaheim GM Bob Murray elected to take a first- and second-round draft pick rather than lose one of his goalies for nothing.
Andersen and Gibson caught up with one another at the Encore hotel on Tuesday afternoon and were both happy with the outcome of the trade.
“It was good, it was normal,” said Andersen. “We’re good friends. We’re happy for each other to both get to play a lot more now.”
It represents a huge opportunity for the 26-year-old Dane, who twice passed through the NHL Draft without being selected. Carolina eventually took him in the seventh round in 2010, but he chose not to sign with the Hurricanes and re-entered the draft in 2012.
That’s where the Ducks got him in the third round and he’s made it look like a shrewd pick ever since. Andersen has compiled a career 77-26-12 record and .918 save percentage over the last three seasons.
The Leafs long ago identified him as a trade target – “I love his competitiveness,” Lamoriello said Monday – and have made no secret of the fact that he immediately supplants Jonathan Bernier as their starting goalie.
“I like playing a lot,” said Andersen. “I’m excited about getting that vote of confidence and (getting to) be in there more.”
He hopes that he’s arriving in Toronto at just the right time.
It’s been a difficult decade for the Leafs, but senior members of the organization believe that adding Andersen and expected No. 1 draft pick Auston Matthews to a fairly deep prospect pool bodes well for a turnaround.
The goalie didn’t need much of a sales job before signing a contract with the Leafs in large part because Lemieux, his agent, and Lamoriello have a long history together.
“I know they’re focused on winning up there and I know they’re building towards that,” said Andersen. “I’m excited about to be a part of that.”
He competed in the Stanley Cup playoffs during all three seasons with the Ducks and believes the Leafs could qualify as soon as next year.
“It’s always the goal,” said Andersen. “I know it is (possible). We’ve got to work towards it – it’s going to be tough – but it is for every team. My approach is just trying to help the team win every night.”
Despite going through a whirlwind 24-hour period, he appeared relaxed while discussing his new situation.
Andersen had a feeling that Gibson’s age and favourable contract would likely conspire against keeping in Anaheim long term, and was well aware that Toronto was among the teams on the lookout for goaltending help.
His new deal will carry some form of a no-trade clause in the later years, which means that he could be a member of the Leafs for a long time if everything goes to plan.
Given how quickly everything unfolded, that idea might take a little while for him to get used to.
