Could Maple Leafs Goaltender be a Surprise Trade Candidate?

The Toronto Maple Leafs got off the schneid with a 7-2 blowout win over the Penguins in Pittsburgh on Saturday night. While the final score shows otherwise, Toronto was actually outplayed for stretches of the game, and outshot 35-23 on the night, but backup goaltender Dennis Hildeby shut the door and kept the Pens at bay.

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Hildeby hadn’t played in over two weeks as Joseph Woll has been brilliant since returning from a personal matter while handling a heavy workload. Despite that, he showed absolutely no rust and put forth the exact kind of performance you hope for from your backup.

That, along with Woll’s superb play, led to discussion amongst Leafs Nation over the weekend about how they should proceed in goal. While some feel as if they should sell high on Hildeby now that he looks like a capable number two in the NHL, a different idea gained more traction online, and that was the thought of trading Anthony Stolarz.

Toronto could, in turn, ride Woll as the undisputed starter with Hildeby behind him, using Stolarz as trade bait to acquire more help for the roster in front of them. It’s a very interesting proposition, and something that Brad Treliving and company should certainly be willing to look into if they truly want to shake up their roster.

The 31-year-old Stolarz just signed a four-year, $15 million extension with the Maple Leafs that kicks in to start the 2026-27 campaign. For 2025-26, he remains in the final season of the two-year, $5 million deal he signed to come to Toronto as a UFA in 2024.

Who Could Have an Interest in Anthony Stolarz?

While there’s no concrete evidence or rumors to suggest that the Maple Leafs are shopping Stolarz, it makes a good deal of sense on the surface, so who could be in play to land the 6’6, 248-pound netminder?

The Edmonton Oilers immediately come to mind as they desperately search for an upgrade in goal, which Stolarz would undoubtedly be. At the same time, the Montreal Canadiens have struggled at the position, though a trade between the bitter rivals feels unlikely.

Aside from those two, the Carolina Hurricanes, who are constantly dealing with injuries to their goalies, could be an option, as well as the Utah Mammoth, who could use some help alongside Karel Vejmelka.

The ever-changing goaltending landscape around the NHL will play a factor as well, so other suitors will surely emerge at various points in the season if Toronto decides to, at the very least, scour the market to see what a potential return package would look like for Stolarz.

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