Slowly but surely, it appears that Joseph Woll is getting closer and closer to returning to game action for the Maple Leafs.
The 26-year-old has missed about a week – and counting – with lower body tightness.
Weirdly, I think the landscape has changed ten-fold in Toronto’s crease in eight short days. Coming out of training camp, it’s fair to state that Woll was unequivocally the No. 1 guy. Now, not so much. Anthony Stolarz has looked fantastic in his two outings. Additionally, hell, even Dennis Hildeby, who wasn’t expected to see much time at the NHL level this season, looked strong in his debut last Thursday night in New Jersey.
Suddenly, there’s reason for debate. What I’m getting is that upon his return, the Leafs don’t owe Woll starting goaltender minutes. Simply put, he’ll have to earn the playing time back. And quite frankly, that’s exactly how I expect Craig Berube and the coaching staff to tackle the situation. They’re in the business of notching wins, they could care less who’s in goal for them. They want to go with the guy they feel is their best possible option. Right now, I think Stolarz should be rewarded for his consistent start to the season. He deserves it.
Personally, I think some internal competition could be a blessing in disguise for all parties involved. First and foremost, the Leafs need to get Woll right, and most importantly, he needs to start playing some games. The longer he’s out of action, the more I think he falls out of favour in this puzzle. That’s just the way the modern-day NHL works. It’s the, ‘what have you done for me lately’ league —plain and simple. Sadly, last year’s postseason is already a distant memory.
Any way you slice it, we’re going to find out a lot about Woll over the next little while. Even though he’s well equipped with a brand-new extension in tow, I think this will be a big moment in his early career. Either he will finally be able to stay healthy for a long period of time, or the Leafs may have to start leaning on alternate options to solidify their crease moving forward.
I’m really pulling for him. So is Leafs Nation.
