UPDATE: Just ahead of game time @LeafsPR made us all panic just a little bit.

With Frederik Andersen injured, we may now feel the effects of losing both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard to waivers at the start of the season.

Garret Sparks was listed as the starter this morning, but Mike Babcock, in a chippy mood post-practice, would not entertain questions about the goalie situation.

This afternoon, Eamon McAdam, on an NHL-contract but with the Newfoundland Growlers, was recalled to Toronto, perhaps to sit as backup tonight. The Leafs are currently running an active roster of 23 players, so to add McAdam to the roster, they would need to loan someone to the minors or put someone on IR. He might simply be here now in case there’s a need.* See correction at the bottom of the post.

In the most recent Marlies game, Kasimir Kaskisuo left the game, helped off the ice after this save:

Kaskisuo’s backup, Jeff Glass, is on an AHL contract and cannot play in the NHL, leaving McAdam as the number three on the Leafs goalie depth chart.

In his first outing this season with the Leafs, Garret Sparks had a Fenwick Save Percentage of  87.888 at five-on-five, which is not the worst NHL performance to date. There have been 20 appearances that were worse than that, including Frederik Andersen in the game against the Senators. Jack Campbell, tonight’s expected starter for the Kings has the worst night of all in just over 20 minutes against the Senators.

Okay, what is Ottawa doing to opposing goalies?

Sparks looks a little worse, but not the worst, when you look at his Saves over Expected Goals. Matt Murray is one of two goalies worse that Sparks after two starts, and if that doesn’t prove you should ignore one or two bad starts, I’m not sure what is.

If Andersen is out tonight and McAdam actually acts as the backup, Sparks will feel the pressure to perform, which is something he seems to relish.

McAdam, acquired from the Islanders for Matt Martin, has never played an NHL game. In his one Growlers start this year, their opening game, he had an all-situation save percentage of .913 in the winning effort. He has played 36 AHL games, all for Bridgeport, and 46 ECHL games prior to this year.

Depending on the status of Kaskisuo, which has not been updated, and the status of Andersen, which is rumoured to be an illness since he took morning skate, McAdam will likely hang around to serve as a Marlies goalie in practice. The Marlies play next this weekend.

The Growlers will have to add an EBUG or a backup on a contract if that is the case, as they only have one other goalie, and their next game is tomorrow at home.

Nothing official yet, but we’ll know by gametime one way or the other.

As for that roster limit, Cap Friendly comes to our rescue: