NHL News

Stolarz Needs to Be Starter for Maple Leafs Playoff Push

Experience of Toronto Maple Leafs net minder Stolarz will help the team make a strong push for an NHL playoff spot.

by
Garit Reid
February 28, 2026

If the Toronto Maple Leafs want to have a possibility of reaching the playoffs this season, they will need to have an undisputed number-one goalie. That goalie would have to be Anthony Stolarz. He is healthy after coming back from an injury in January, so if he stays healthy, consistent play from him is required. Any NHL club throughout history relies on that number one goalie.

Why Woll and Hildeby Need to be Backups to Stolarz

The Leafs can’t juggle three goalies like they have been doing to be successful. Speaking of the other two goalies, Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby, who are both competent net minders, but don’t have the experience Stolarz has acquired during his tenure between the pipes for the Leafs. Woll has been inconsistent of late, and Hildeby isn’t ready to have the number one job yet.

Anthony Stolarz Maple Leafs goalie — Anthony Stolarz should be the Maple Leafs starting goalie

With two significant losses to the Tampa Bay Lightning and Florida Panthers coming off the Olympic break, the Maple Leafs need consistent goaltending. Spectacular goaltending would be nice, but the Leafs need to go day in and day out about keeping the goals down to win close games. If the Leafs’ scoring is down, then Stolarz needs to give his team a chance to win games where they are outshot or just can’t find the net.

It will be up to head coach Craig Berube to give his players the confidence to go out and win, and it will be up to Stolarz to simply stop pucks.

“It’s always hard, but that’s my job, to instill that confidence in our guys. Myself, I stay confident. I am confident. I know what these guys are capable of doing, and I’ve got to get it out of them,” said Berube.

Leafs Nation Needs Patience

There is always that need for Maple Leafs management, fans, and the market in Toronto to want to make a quick move. Yes, the Leafs have made the NHL playoffs nine years in a row and haven’t made a long playoff run in most of those years, but the Leafs need to play the long game. One of those pillars is strong, consistent goaltending, and Stolarz is capable of providing that.