Joseph Woll will be out for a while as the Leafs’ PR announced that he has suffered a high ankle sprain this morning.
Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll is out week-to-week with a high ankle sprain.
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) December 9, 2023
Woll exited during the third period of Thursday’s game against the Senators when he went down in discomfort after going across to make a save near the post. He had to be helped off the ice and Sheldon Keefe told reporters afterwards the starter would be out for a while.
This injury put a premature end to his stellar performance in Ottawa where he was making incredible saves all game long and the primary reason why the Leafs were not blown out. Martin Jones was forced to come on in relief and while he did allow a goal it was enough to help secure Toronto’s first regulation win since their trip to Sweden.
The ailment is certainly not ideal, but the outcome could have been a lot worse, so the Leafs are probably fortunate that this wasn’t season-ending bad.
For context, Timothy Liljegren suffered the same injury during that infamous tilt in Boston in November and did not resume skating until about a month later. While this is not guaranteed proof Woll’s recovery is going to play out, it gives you an idea of what might transpire. It would therefore be safe to presume he could be back for the Leafs’ trip to Western Canada at the earliest or after the All-Star break at the latest.
No matter how long it ends up taking, the Leafs have no choice but to give Ilya Samsonov back the net for the foreseeable future. His struggles this season have been well documented but he is also the same goalie who helped secure their first playoff series win in nearly two decades, so he certainly has it in him to elevate his game. Jones clearing waivers earlier this year looks even more clutch now given his experience should prove critical during this stretch of time with Woll on the sidelines.
Woll had started in 14 games and posted a record of 8-5-1, a 2.80 GAA, and a .916 SV% prior to his ankle injury. Samsonov has 10 starts so far this season while registering a 4-1-3 record, a 3.58 GAA, and a .878 SV%.
Stats from Hockey-Reference.com.
