Sparks signed a two-year extension with the Leafs in the summer of 2017 after posting a 21-9-0 record, a 2.16 GAA and .922 save percentage in 31 games with the team's AHL affiliate last season. The contract will allow him to continue to hone his skills with the Marlies for two more seasons while Curtis McElhinney backs up at the NHL level. If all goes well, Sparks will be the Leafs’ backup in 2020-21.

Sparks burst onto the Toronto scene with a shutout in his NHL debut, and it was almost inevitable that things went downhill from there. His rise had been meteoric – he'd blown the doors off the AHL after clawing his way up from the ECHL. But Sparks' raw style became a flopping mess in the NHL and he finished 2015-16 as one of the NHL's worst goalies, at least statistically. He's a good kid, but he needs reps in the minors to achieve the growth required to be an NHLer. And it remains to be seen whether the beatdown he took last year will permanently scar his psyche. The Leafs are actively searching for a backup, so don't count on Sparks being the No. 2 man in Hogtown this year. Hey, we're not even sure he'll crack the AHL Toronto Marlies' lineup, either. He could be in the ECHL again. Let's hope he's not a one-hit wonder.