Maple Leafs Goalie Situation is Concerning

The Toronto Maple Leafs have two goalies who have never showed the ability to be a full-time starter.

Nov 3, 2024; Saint Paul, Minnesota, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) during a game between the Minnesota Wild and Toronto Maple Leafs at Xcel Energy Center. Mandatory Credit: Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images / Brace Hemmelgarn-Imagn Images

The Toronto Maple Leafs are enjoying a good start to the year with a 7-5-2 record through 14 games, but there has been some concern regarding their goalie situation. So far, the Maple Leafs have gotten good work from Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, but is it sustainable?

Stolarz has seemingly taken over as the Maple Leafs starting goalie with nine starts so far, and pacing to start about 2/3 of the year. His previous career high in starts in a single season is 24 last year with the Florida Panthers.

While the 31-year-old putting up good numbers between the pipes, Stolarz has never been labeled as a starter in the NHL. Same goes for the 26-year-old Woll, but in a different lane.

The 2024-25 season is the first year that Woll was expected to be the full-time starter in Toronto. Last season was his first long stint at the NHL level and he still only played 25 games with 23 starts.

The lack of starts between the two netminders has forced some questions from analysts. TSN’s Bryan Hayes believes that is a real reason to be concerned.

“Stolarz has been kicking around the NHL for quite some time, and yet he just has no track record of a guy that can play 30 games let alone 40 or 50,” Hayes said. “That’s where he’s tracking right now.”

Hayes was extremely complimentary of Stolarz, saying he has been the best Maple Leaf to this point of the season, but  there is concern about how long he can last as a starter.

At 31 years old and parts of eight seasons in the NHL, Stolarz has bounced around to five different teams. In 117 games played, he’s only started in 92 with a 48-33-11 record. He was a Stanley Cup champion with the Panthers, but he wasn’t the go-to guy.

Woll is in a different situation of his own as a younger netminder still needing to express his worth as an NHL starter. He’s played in 39 total games in his young career with a 22-15-1 record.

The longevity of both goalies is being called into question, and for good reason. A career backup and a youngster without much experience are the top two goalies in the Maple Leafs system.

“Can [Stolarz] start 30, 40, 50 games?” Hayes asked. “And I don’t know if Joseph Woll can start 30, 40, 50 games.”

The Maple Leafs will likely be a playoff team again, but the goaltending will be a question mark. Someone needs to step up and prove they have what it takes to be the long-term solution.

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