Photo Credits: Photo by Eliot J. Schechter/NHLI via Getty Images)
Goaltending depth in the NHL has become an important part of the game in recent years. We’ve seen recent Stanley Cup Champions, the Vegas Golden Knights and Colorado Avalanche, turn to their goaltending depth in the playoffs. The Toronto Maple Leafs have lacked this for a while.
During the 2023-24 season, Toronto’s goaltending was not up to par compared to what fans have seen in previous years. Ilya Samsonov struggled during the first four months of the season to the point where the Leafs put him on waivers, and he went unclaimed. He eventually found his game, but Samsonov struggled again regarding the playoffs. On the other hand, Joseph Woll took the starting job and ran with it until he suffered an ankle injury that kept him out of the lineup for two months. In the playoffs, Woll stole games five and six for Toronto to push for game seven, but unfortunately, he suffered a back injury that kept him out of game seven, and the Leafs had to turn back to Samsonov. During the season, Toronto had to rely on their third-string goalie, Martin Jones. Jones saved the Maple Leafs’ season with his strong play, but it looked like he ran out of gas down the stretch at the end of the season.
Going into the 2024-25 season, the Leafs have high playoff expectations with new head coach Craig Berube and newly appointed captain Auston Matthews. The big question mark for Toronto is in the net. Joseph Woll is Toronto’s promising young goaltender, and the Leafs have done well in developing him into an NHL starter. In his first full year in the league, Woll started 25 games with a record of 12-11-1, posting a 2.93 GAA and a .907 save percentage. This season will be Woll’s first as a starter, and he has the potential to start 40 or more games if he can stay healthy. Woll is known as a calm and collected goaltender, which is something you need to be in a market like Toronto. There will be growing pains for the young netminder, who just signed a three-year, $10.9 million contract in the offseason. The positive side for Woll is that if he struggles during the season, he has two Cup-winning mentors behind him who can support him. The Maple Leafs haven’t had a homegrown goaltender in their system since James Reimer and Felix Potvin.
The reliable Anthony Stolarz will be backing up Woll, who signed a two-year contract with Toronto in the offseason. Stolarz is a veteran netminder who has been in the league for seven years. He spent the 2023-24 season with the Florida Panthers, and before that, he spent four years backing up John Gibson with the Anaheim Ducks. In the 2024 season, Stolarz had a career year. In 27 games played, he went 16-7-2 with two shutouts, posting a 2.03 GAA and a .925 save percentage. Stolarz won the Stanley Cup with the Panthers and will bring a winning pedigree to the Maple Leafs.
Stolarz’s large frame at 6’6” helps him cover most of the net, which gives him an advantage against shooters. The Leafs and Stolarz expect him to share the crease with Woll to help him get comfortable as a starter. But don’t be surprised if Stolarz gets more starts in the 2024-25 season. Having a guy like Stolarz as your backup provides valuable depth and insurance, ensuring the Leafs aren’t relying too heavily on Woll and have plenty of options in the net.
Matt Murray will be in the third-string position for the Maple Leafs. Murray re-signed with the Leafs on July 1, agreeing to a one-year, $875,000 contract. Although he did not play a game in the 2024 season due to a hip injury, Murray played three games in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies, where he went 1-2-0 with a 4.03 GAA and a .846 save percentage. The two-time Stanley Cup winner will be an insurance policy in the net for the Leafs if there is an injury to Woll or Stolarz.
In the 2023 season, Murray put up decent numbers when he played. In 26 games, he went 14-8-2 with one shutout, posting a 3.01 GAA and a .903 save percentage. Murray was on the Slangin’ the Bizkit podcast, where he talked about his double hip surgery, saying, “My hips haven’t felt this good in a long time.” Despite his past injuries, Murray’s Stanley Cup experience and ability to perform in big games will make him an asset when he is healthy and ready to get the nod in the net.
Whether or not Murray gets the chance to grab the starting, backup, or tandem role, he will be a great mentor for Joseph Woll.
With the Leafs having three capable goaltenders in Woll, Murray, and Stolarz, they now possess one of the more secure goaltending situations around the league. Although success isn’t guaranteed, the Leafs have done well to ensure they won’t be undone by goaltending issues this season.
I think the Leafs’ goaltending will be better than expected this season and potentially in the top five in the Atlantic Division. TSN analyst Martin Biron ranked Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz’s tandem seventh in the Atlantic Division power rankings, which is a questionable take as I think their tandem is ahead of Montreal and Buffalo. If everyone can stay healthy, Toronto could have a three-headed monster. Murray, Woll, and Stolarz will be poised to have success and carry the team as far as they can in the games they play.
The questions that need to be answered are: Can Woll take the starting role full-time? Will Stolarz solidify his spot? Could Murray bounce back to form? All these questions will be answered in a few weeks when NHL Training Camps start.
