Joseph Woll's Fate in Question After Maple Leafs' Latest Decision

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Daniel Lucente
October 28, 2024 (6:07 PM)

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Joseph Woll no longer the Toronto Maple Leafs top goalie? Despite being healthy, the team has opted to go with goaltender Anthony Stolarz again.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are in a little bit of a precarious situation here as they are on a three-game winless run. Their latest loss came in a 4-3 overtime defeat to the Boston Bruins, a game sealed on a defensive error by none other than Auston Matthews, one of the team's biggest stars. While it was a heartbreaking conclusion, much attention has shifted away from Matthews' mistake to the goaltending situation, which may very well be one of the more central issues among fans and analysts alike.

In a bit of a surprise, head coach Craig Berube chose to go with backup goalie Anthony Stolarz against Boston, a move that may have raised eyebrows, considering that Joseph Woll, the Leafs' presumed starter of the future, is now healthy.

Anthony Stolarz was very good in that game, making big key saves at several points. However, he did seem frustrated with himself for letting in that the Overtime goal.

With this minor hiccup, Stolarz actually put in a decent enough performance to keep the Leafs competitive in a high-stakes matchup against a divisional rival. The biggest question now, of course, is whether the team will stay with him going forward. The team desperately needs to figure out a way to pull out of this three-game slump.

What is puzzling is that Joseph Woll barely had a chance to get back into any kind of rhythm since returning from injury. He has since appeared in only one game since coming back, a rough 5-1 loss to the St. Louis Blues where he struggled to find his form. That shaky performance seems to have prompted Craig Berube and the Leafs' management to rethink their plans for the goaltending tandem.

Rather than giving Joseph Woll more and more chances to get back into the starter's role, it seems that the coaching staff leans toward Stolarz more. Tonight, against the undefeated Winnipeg Jets, expect Anthony Stolarz once again to start in the net, his second straight game in the pipes.

This move feels more and more like a shift where the Leafs brass, namely Craig Berube, is starting to look at Anthony Stolarz as the more reliable of the options between the pipes. While Joseph Woll was at least an unquestioned starter, coming out of the gate following his strong appearances last year, it is yet to be seen if that will be extended with another chance anytime soon to fight back and try to take the top job. Stolarz, on the other hand, has seized the opportunity to make a case for himself as more than just a backup. He's earned the trust of his coach, and if he continues at this level of performance, it may signal a changing of the guard regarding Toronto's long-term goaltending plans.

That they go back to Anthony Stolarz again says volumes about where confidence from the coaching staff lies at this moment. If Joseph Woll isn't given more opportunities to prove himself soon, this may be the beginning of the end of his potential as the Maple Leafs' future goalie. For Stolarz, the upcoming games will be telling as to whether he can truly become an established number-one goaltender. The Leafs may be in a scramble overall, but in the net, they seem to be finding some clarity. Just not in the way anyone expected, it seems.