Toronto Maple Leafs: Goaltender Joseph Woll Remains Undefeated

The Toronto Maple Leafs showcased their goaltending depth earlier this season.

The Toronto Maple Leafs acquired both Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov over the summer, then two weeks into the season found themselves using Erik Kalgren as their starter, and he posted great 5v5 numbers, while helping the Leafs get points in seven of the ten games he started.

It’s possible that the only reason the Leafs were even starting Kalgren was because Woll was also hurt.  Woll missed eight months due to a shoulder injury, and his recovery was delayed by a few setbacks. The first setback was a tweak to his injured shoulder. He also suffered an ankle injury while recovering from his shoulder injury.

Woll made his long-awaited return to the crease on November 25th, 2022. He helped the Toronto Marlies defeat the Cleveland Monsters 4-1 and has been undefeated ever since.

The Toronto Maple Leafs prospect has now won all six games he has played since returning. His current 6-0-0 record is accompanied by a .935 save percentage (SV%) and a 2.00 goals-against average (GAA). (Stats from eliteprospects.com)

The brilliant play of Woll has helped the Toronto Marlies earn the top spot in the AHL’s north division. With a 19-9-2 record and the Marlies on top of their division, head coach Greg Moore will represent the north division at the AHL All-Star game to be held February 5th-6th in Laval, Quebec.

Toronto Maple Leafs Goaltending Depth

When the Toronto Maple Leafs decided to part ways with Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek, many wondered what Toronto’s goaltending situation would look like in the 2022-23 season.

Once Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas traded for Matt Murray and signed Ilya Samsonov, many still wondered how Toronto would do with their change in goaltending.

The new tandem is working out well for the Maple Leafs.

Matt Murray is sitting on a 9-3-2 record with one shutout through 14 games. He has a .920 SV% and a 2.44 GAA, which puts him in 8th and 11th place in the NHL. Samsonov has a record of 11-3-0 with two shutouts in 14 games.

He has a .920 SV% and a 2.20 GAA. Those stats put him in 8th and 3rd place in the NHL. The 25-year-old is also undefeated at home with a 9-0-0 record. (Stats from hockey-reference.com)

Along with Joseph Woll, the Toronto Maple Leafs have Erik Kallgren, Keith Petruzzelli, Dylan Ferguson, and Dryden McKay in their pro system. Other than McKay, the others have spent most of their 2022-23 season playing for the Marlies in the AHL.

Toronto’s goaltending depth was put to the test early, and I think they did better than expected. Goaltending has not always been a strong position for the Maple Leafs, but it seems to be this season. Knowing the depth that Toronto has, makes it less concerning when a goaltender gets injured.