Update on Joseph Woll’s Injury:

Joseph Woll is starting to gain a reputation as injury-prone, but is that truly a concern? Rather than seeing it as a setback, it’s more of a chance to regroup. It’s becoming common in the NHL for goaltenders to struggle to surpass 60 regular-season starts. For instance, Stuart Skinner’s 82 combined games from the 2023-24 season, including playoffs, stands out as remarkable.

In general, goaltenders experience slow, steady growth in terms of games played each season. Woll, a Boston College Eagles alumnus from 2016 to 2019, has never played more than 37 games in a season throughout his career. His career-high in professional games was 32 during his rookie season. While his NHL save percentage of .912 suggests he performs well when healthy, his limited availability remains a concern.

Who Else Can Step In for the Leafs?

Looking at the Maple Leafs’ goaltending options, there is reason for optimism. Matt Murray brings veteran experience, and while Dennis Hildeby has potential, he’s still quite inexperienced with no immediate pressure on him. However, his upside is considerable.

The Leafs are well-prepared for situations like this in the 2024-25 season. Bringing in Anthony Stolarz from the Florida Panthers during the offseason was a smart move. Stolarz, a 30-year-old with 111 NHL games under his belt, posted a .899 save percentage with the Anaheim Ducks in 2022-23, but his career average of .916 suggests that may have been an outlier. The Leafs could benefit from his experience.

Woll is expected to return soon, but in the meantime, Stolarz was brought in to step up, and the team has other reliable goaltenders who can fill in as backups. Overall, the Leafs’ goaltending situation looks promising for the season ahead.