The Leafs’ starter is taking another step in his recovery as he is with the team on their Western Canada road trip.
Joseph Woll is on the trip for solo work only. No plans to practice with team.
— luke fox (@lukefoxjukebox) January 16, 2024
Sheldon Keefe told reporters that Woll is with the team to conduct solo work with goalie coach Curtis Sanford and is not yet ready to return to full practice. This remains consistent with where things stood last week when the goalie was spotted on the ice getting light work in before the morning skate.
Woll has been out of the lineup since December 9th when he was forced to exit a game against the Senators early after suffering from a high-ankle sprain. Back when he initially got diagnosed, I projected the earliest possible return for him would be around this time now and although it has now been proven he needs more time to recover the fact he is getting more regular reps in at the start of the road trip is a good sign that we are not far removed from his return to the crease. I imagine the Leafs will opt for the more cautious approach so expect to see him cleared to play around the All-Star break.
Martin Jones and Ilya Samsonov have been carrying the load in the interim and the results have been mixed to put it lightly. Jones had his moments of brilliance while also playing like a third-stringer in other moments. By contrast, Samsonov had a disastrous end to the calendar that resulted in him getting placed on waivers before rehabilitating himself mentally and making his return on Sunday where he played well despite the loss.
Suffice it to say, the Leafs have been treading water in the crease since Woll went down with an injury and the fact he is inching closer to his return will be music to the team’s ears. A lot of their success hinges on him because of his brilliance so getting him back will be a huge boost so long as he returns to form.
