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Maple Leafs News and Rumors: Woll Injury, Stolarz Concerns, Trade Talk
There is a lot to talk about in Toronto Maple Leafs land, including what’s going on with their goaltending. Let’s check in on the latest.
The Toronto Maple Leafs just might be back in business after a 4-2-0 six-game road trip against some stiff Eastern Conference competition. It all started to click, with Auston Matthews healthy and scoring, Matthew Knies doing the same, and a productive third line of Dakota Joshua, Nicolas Roy, and Bobby McMann emerging. Pair it with the brilliance of Joseph Woll, and the Maple Leafs looked like what we expected coming into the season, a force to be reckoned with in the Atlantic Division.
They were one period away from escaping the gauntlet scot-free, that was until Woll didn’t come onto the ice for the third period in Carolina, ruled out with a lower-body injury to create some drama in Toronto.
So what’s the latest on Woll? What about Anthony Stolarz? We’ll dive into all of that and the latest trade buzz around the Maple Leafs.
Joseph Woll Injury Update
It was a surprise to everyone when the Maple Leafs ruled Woll out for the remainder of the game just prior to the start of the third period on Thursday. Nobody truly knows what the injury is or when it happened, though this video shows a sequence in which the 27-year-old appears to be in some discomfort.
When asked about it postgame, Craig Berube didn’t provide much, saying they’ll determine the severity of the injury tomorrow (Friday). They, of course, hope it’s nothing serious, but with his injury history, it’s always a concern to see Woll out of action, especially given how well he’d been playing.
What is Going On With Anthony Stolarz?
Woll’s dominance had Stolarz feeling like a forgotten man, but now that he’s banged up, everyone is wondering what’s truly going on with the other half of the Maple Leafs’ goaltending tandem.
Unfortunately, there’s not much to report, as Stolarz has yet to skate since suffering an upper-body injury back on November 11 in Boston. His absence is approaching a full month, and it doesn’t seem as if a return is anywhere on the horizon.
With Stolarz and now potentially Woll both on the shelf, Dennis Hildeby will likely have to shoulder the load alongside Artur Akhtyamov, who would be the expected call-up from the Marlies.
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The play of Woll and Hildeby, for that matter, had some wondering whether Stolarz could be expendable, though that sentiment might have changed as the Maple Leafs deal with yet another injury to a goaltender.
Brad Treliving still wants to shake up his roster, but it doesn’t appear to be as urgent thanks to the team’s recent success. Matias Maccelli has been a healthy scratch for three straight games and could already be a change-of-scenery candidate, while rumors around Brandon Carlo have quieted as his injury absence drags on.
Insider Nick Kypreos also speculated that the Maple Leafs could use Hildeby or Akhtyamov as trade bait once Stolarz returns, but Woll’s exit against the Hurricanes might have put a wrench in those plans.
Next: Do Quinn Hughes’ Comments About Toronto Mean Anything?
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