The Leafs just shut down Carlo, Joshua, and Stolarz with games left and this is not purely about injuries
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
The press box has three new seat fillers as Anthony Stolarz, Brandon Carlo, and Dakota Joshua are shut down for the year — but not only because they're injured.
As the Maple Leafs head into their third last game of the season, there are heavy implications regarding their draft odds. They have to beat the Panthers on Saturday in order to set them up for the best possible chance of keeping their 2026 first-rounder.
Well, if they were looking to wave the white flag they've certainly started to do so, even though it's too late.
Toronto sitting Stolarz, Joshua, and Carlo for the rest of the season but it might be too late
Craig Berube informed everyone after Toronto's practice that the team has effectively shut down Anthony Stolarz, Dakota Joshua, and Brandon Carlo for the remainder of the season.
All three players were injured in Toronto's game vs. Washington on Wednesday and did not suit up for Thursday's game vs. New York. Stolarz was injured early in the game after trying to make a save, followed by Joshua leaving after a Rasmus Sandin hit with Carlo following after though the nature of his injury is still unknown.
Stolarz posted a much worse season than last year and struggled heavily with injuries all year. He recorded a 10-10-3 record with a 3.28 GAA and .893 SV%.
Joshua started to pick things up a little bit towards the latter half of the season after returning from a lacerated kidney. In 55 games he put up 18 points (10 goals, 8 assists), a minus-2 and 195 hits. He was brought in for physicality and offence and did a solid job.
Carlo on the other hand has drawn the ire of everyone considering Toronto gave up a massive haul for him and he's been downright bad. Seven points in 55 games and while he's a plus-7; it's nowhere near the double digit numbers in Boston.
He also dealt with injuries but when he was playing was not nearly as physical or defensively sound as before. He's not a bad player but boy was this a bad trade.
The rookie contingent is coming in to help Craig Berube down the stretch
With the trio of players out, it's now up to the newbies to come in and make a statement. William Villeneuve makes his debut and it's a highly anticipated one at that. Luke Haymes also draws in on the third line, and if Joseph Woll needs someone it's rookie Artur Akhtyamov.
It's objectively way too late for Toronto to be doing this but I guess better late than never. If there's a better way to lose the game against Florida it would be putting in guys who aren't as experienced — though it could come back to bite them too.
These guys are playing for their future and hopefully helping to lay the foundation of the team for years to come. But they also have to be weary about costing themselves a successful future by losing out on a draft pick. It's horribly thin ice and the Maple Leafs need to be careful.
But for now, Toronto has to rely on them if they are sitting their veterans and all we can hope now is that these injuries find themselves in the rearview mirror come 2026-27.
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| POLL | ||
AVRIL 11|697 ANSWERS The Leafs just shut down Carlo, Joshua, and Stolarz with games left and this is not purely about injuries Do you think the Maple Leafs were smart to sit Joshua, Stolarz and Carlo for the year? | ||
| Yes | 663 | 95.1 % |
| No | 34 | 4.9 % |
| List of polls | ||