Joseph Woll Misses Practice, Raising Doubt on Availability for Blue Jackets Game
Joseph Woll put in another stellar performance on Monday, but his absence at practice on Tuesday have left some worrying he may be worse for wear.
It's been quite the year for Joseph Woll. Already setting a career high in starts, the Maple Leafs netminder has yet to lose three straight games in his career so far, and is showing everyone why the team has so much faith in him as the starter of the future.
With Anthony Stolarz being injured and Dennis Hildeby not finding his stride in the NHL as of yet, it's been up to Woll to hold down the fort and boy has he. Holding a 17-8-0 record with a 2.69 GAA and .907 SV%, he's had his downs but overall enjoyed a successful season.
So it's worrying then that he was absent at Maple Leafs practice ahead of Wednesday's game against the Blue Jackets as concerns grow that Toronto might be down their two best assets.
Joseph Woll Need A Break To Gather Himself
After putting in several fantastic performances highlighted with a showcase of unbelievable skill (and a bit of luck) against Montreal, Woll has been the talk of the town in Leafs Land.
But he's also started pretty much every game since Anthony Stolarz went down and while it's a commendable effort from the young netminder, he is still human and needs to take a break.
January has not offered Toronto much solace after a brutal December, and their saving grace is that in a couple of weeks they'll have a big break in order to recover mentally and physically, and gives Woll the chance to relax if he feels overworked.
Stolarz is supposed to return sometime in February, and if he doesn't end up playing the first four games of the month, when the NHL returns to action he will be right as rain and give Woll a chance to relax again and take a few extra starts to get him back up to speed.
Toronto can't really rely on Dennis Hildeby, and though he's been serviceable so far, it is a huge ask to bring him in to keep the team's momentum high especially with their first place standing in jeopardy if he falters, and Matt Murray might not be 100% ready to play in the NHL either.
There will be a keen eye on the Leafs locker room for the status of Joseph Woll, as he's been one of the bright spots of the season and another extended absence could make things look very dim.
