Leafs Likely To Trade Goaltender Before Trade Deadline, per Insider
Maple Leafs insider and analyst Nick Kypreos predicts the team is going to move on from either Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have finally found consistent goaltending for the first time in what feels like a decade. Joseph Woll has started to really blossom into a Top 10 goalie, and Anthony Stolarz has come in and taken charge while Woll's season started on the IR.
It's a breath of fresh air and it's led Toronto to a lot of success so far in 2024-25, but according to Leafs analyst and Real Kyper and Bourne co-host Nick Kypreos: One of them is going to be traded.
Why Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz May Be Traded
It's not impossible to think that either man won't be elsewhere come trade deadline day, but Toronto is not going to mess with a good thing. Both men have created a newfound stability that is foreign to so many Leafs fans.
Woll this season has recorded four straight wins, to bring his record to 5-2-0 with a 2.00 GAA and .922 SV%. After a rough season debut, Woll has been lights out and given Toronto every reason to be confident he's their goaltender of the future.
Stolarz, a free agent signing this summer, has been nothing short of fantastic for the Leafs while not only Woll was on the IR, but even after his return. Though he had a rough night against Florida on Wednesday, Stolarz has a 7-4-2 record with a 2.33 GAA and .921 SV% and been every bit as important to Toronto's success as Woll.
Trading either player seems like a Fool's Gambit for going from a potential Conference Finals run to another disappointing first-round exit.
Stolarz just won a Stanley Cup last year and is on a bargain deal; Woll is your goaltender for the next 5-10 years. There's no reason to break things apart unless Toronto experiences such a freefall that a trade is unavoidable.
Toronto also needs forward depth, and the potential to acquire someone elite will cost you. For example, if Toronto wanted to somehow put a package together for Sidney Crosby, there is no doubt Woll is going to be a part of it as much as the Leafs would hate that.
Both players are cheap options, as Stolarz is a steal at $2.5M for this season and the next; meanwhile, Woll re-signed a five-year deal earlier this year and cemented himself as the #1 of the future.
FAQ: Insider Believes Toronto Will More Than Likely Trade One Starter
Q1: Which analyst thinks Toronto is going to make a trade with their goalie?
A1: Nick Kypreos, former Maple Leaf and current analyst believes Toronto is going to trade one because teams looking for elite goaltending will be on the lookout, plus plus Toronto can use either man as a great trade piece for a top forward.
Q2: Will Toronto trade either of their goaltenders?
A2: It's uncertain as anything can happen in the NHL however Toronto has currently built up a solid duo with Woll and Stolarz, and they would be hard-pressed to separate them.
In closing, Nick Kypreos believes Toronto is going to trade either Joseph Woll or Anthony Stolarz, and Toronto needs to be wary that they don't get an offer that looks too good on paper, and lose out on the one thing they've fought so hard to finally get.
