The Maple Leafs are heading into the 2024-25 season with Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz expected to battle it out for the starter’s crease. Veteran Matt Murray is also in the mix, as the two-time Stanley Cup champion is slotted in currently as the third-stringer and is looking to return to form coming off double hip surgery.
Neither Stolarz or Woll have a ton of experience leading the charge and combined they only have 144 NHL appearances under their belts. Murray is on a one-way NHL contract and with Craig Berube having to make some tough roster decisions ahead of opening night Oct.9, there’s a chance the Leafs have to send Murray through the waiver wire to start the season. For now, they are a trio and one that Matt Larkin from Daily Faceoff ranked as the 20th best in the NHL.
I could be bang on or off by 10 spots in either direction here. Woll looked like a true star against Boston in the playoffs last year but has a devil of a time staying healthy. Stolarz had the best season of his career in 2023-24 but had the Stanley Cup champion roster playing in front of him. Neither goalie has exceeded 24 starts in a season. The skill level is high here, but it’s equally possible that this duo gets exposed with the biggest workloads of their careers. Murray remains in the background as a “break glass in case of emergency” option, which Toronto will probably need given Woll’s health history.
As Larkin points out the Leafs’ goaltending situation is a bit of a wild card. Toronto is entering risky business this season with two goaltenders who don’t have a ton of 1-A starting experience or a long history of staying healthy. Woll is coming off a season where a freak back injury prevented him from starting Game 7 of the first round against the Boston Bruins, meanwhile, Stolarz raised the Stanley Cup last season after leading the league in save percentage during the regular season. The 30-year-old had a sip of coffee during the playoffs, coming in relief for Panthers’ starter Sergei Bobrovsky and allowed three goals on 16 shots, in just under 35 minutes of action.
Woll, on the other hand, has seven games of Stanley Cup Playoff experience to his name. He’s been solid, holding a .933 save percentage. The 2016 third-round pick is four years younger than Stolarz, and some would argue has more potential to take over as the ‘goaltender of the future’. Woll signed a three-year contract extension over the summer worth $ 3.6 million AAV, and on the very same day, Stolarz was inked to a two-year deal worth $2.5 million annually. Stolarz isn’t likely worried about being the goaltender of the future, he wants to win now, after getting a taste of what success felt like last season in Florida.
There are plenty of people excited to see what Stolarz can do with more opportunity after being strictly the backup in Florida. His former Panthers teammate Sam Reinhart spoke to the media a couple of weeks ago in Vegas during the NHL/NHLPA Player Media Tour and made it very clear he feels the towering netminder has all the tools to become ‘the guy’ in Toronto. “[Stolarz] has a good chance to be that goalie for that organization that they’ve needed,” Reinhart said. “He was unbelievable. One, his personality off the ice is top-notch. It’s something that anyone would want in their room. I’m excited to see [that happen] for him as a person.”
Through two preseason appearances in blue and white, Stolarz has been sharp, stopping 24 of 26 shots. With Woll entering his sixth season with the organization, you’d think he has a leg up to start opening night, but that won’t be the case if Stolarz continues to shine throughout the exhibition schedule.
For now, Murray is the third option, but keep an eye on the waiver wire before the season opener. If Murray is claimed, expected Toronto Marlies starter Dennis Hildeby propels up the depth chart. The 23-year-old Hildeby went 21-11-7 for the Marlies last season.
The Maple Leafs have some questions throughout their lineup and their goaltending depth is certainly one of them. Woll and Stolarz don’t have a long history of playing heavy minutes and will be looking to push one another for starts and chances to prove they can handle the workload. At just $3.2 million combined against the cap this season and $6.1 million next season, if everything works out as GM Brad Treliving hopes, not only will the Leafs goaltending be a strength of the team, it will also be one of the most cost-effective duos in the league.
