The Toronto Maple Leafs do not have a goalie controversy, at least not at the number one starting position. It is Anthony Stolarz.
Stolarz signed a two-year contract for $5 million – a $2.5 million salary cap hit – with the Maple Leafs in the offseason. He was supposed to be the backup to Joseph Woll, who signed a three-year, $10.98 million deal – $3.66 million salary cap hit.
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However, Woll’s injury concerns, a problem last season, crept up again to start the 2024-25 season. Remember, last year, Woll did not play Game 7 against the Boston Bruins in Round 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ilya Samsonov, now with the Vegas Golden Knights, started the game.
Woll was supposed to be ready for opening night against the Montreal Canadiens but was not; thus, Anthony Stolarz became the starter. He is playing well for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
For many years, the Maple Leafs struggled with goaltending and defense. That has changed in recent years. So far this season with Stolarz, the position seems solidified.
Everyone wants to talk about what Stolarz did with the Florida Panthers last season when he was the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky winning a Stanley Cup. Stolarz had 2.03 goals against average and a .925 save percentage. These were among the best for NHL goalies, as he played in 27 games.
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These numbers should not surprise those who have followed Stolarz since his days with the Philadelphia Flyers. Stolarz put up solid numbers as a backup goalie, especially in his first season, recording a 2.07 GAA and a .928 save percentage.
There were many in the Philadelphia area clamouring for Stolarz to play more. He could not get in with Michael Neuvirth, Brian Elliott, and Carter Hart in the system. So, there were signs that Stolarz could be this good.
He did not play much over the next couple of seasons, especially with the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Ducks. Again, when he did man the net, his numbers were stellar.
However, in his third season in Anaheim, the number of games he played started to rise, as he recorded a 2.67 GAA and a .917 save percentage. While his last season in Anaheim dipped below a .900 save percentage, the Ducks were a bad team, and he kept them in many games.
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Anthony Stolarz has a record of 3-2, a 1.83 GAA, and a .938 save percentage in a small sample size with the Maple Leafs. In the game against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday night, with the Maple Leafs up 5-1, Stolarz stopped the Lightning in the second period, making several saves in the “high danger zone.”
According to MoneyPuck, Stolarz is still one of the best goalies in the NHL so far this season. His advanced stats continue to back up his play from last season when he was with the Panthers.
The Jackson, New Jersey native and second-round pick (45th overall) from the 2012 NHL Draft took time to find his game in the NHL, but he learned from one of the best goalies in the NHL and won. He is a proven winner and is bringing stability to the position the Maple Leafs did not have before.
The Maple Leafs have confidence in Anthony Stolarz, which is why he is the starting goaltender, even though Joseph Woll is ready to return from injury.
