Leafs Snag Rynnas

The Leafs have gone back to the European well for another goaltender that has been playing in the pro leagues over yonder.  On Friday, they announced the signing of Finnish netminder Jussi Rynnas, from the Finnish Elite League, to add depth to the goaltending system that they are building up in Toronto.

Rynnas, 22, will now be the 3rd goalie in line, in theory, when camp opens in September and he'll be trying to work his way ahead of both J-S Giguere and Jonas Gustavsson for a spot.  The Leafs will also have Rynnas work and develop with their famous goaltending coach, Francois Allaire.

I haven't seen much of anything in regards to Rynnas, how he looks or how he plays, so your guess is likely as good as mine.  He isn't a YouTube sensation, which I think might play into his development a lot better than the hype machine hindered Gustavsson with huge expectations. Frankly, the Leafs just need a solid goaltender that doesn't need to overplay and/or flop around.

This really doesn't appear to be much of an impact signing for the 2011 season, unless both Gustavsson and Giguere falter badly enough that Ron Wilson has no choice but to pull the 'chute and bring someone else in. I would imagine that Rynnas will get a good look in camp, but will take the job with the Marlies and wait for the 2012 season, when Giguere's contract has already expired.