The Toronto Maple Leafs had received some good news on the injury front recently in regards to goaltender Anthony Stolarz. Having been out of action since mid-November due to an upper-body injury, Stolarz could finally be due to return to the ice prior to the Olympics.
However, when it does happen, it creates a goaltending dilemma for the Maple Leafs. That is because in addition to Joseph Woll, who has been holding down the fort nicely with Stolarz out, rookie Dennis Hildeby had been a pleasant surprise in net for Toronto. After a sub-par showing in a stint last season, Hildeby has shown every bit that he could be a legitimate NHL goalie this season, sporting a 2.90 GAA and .911 save percentage in 17 games played with the Leafs this season.
A Maple Leafs goaltending dilemma may be on the horizon
When Stolarz returns, there would be three more-than-capable goalies that could handle the Maple Leafs net, but not enough space to fit all of them. What is the best course of action for Toronto to pursue?
One media source had suggested trading one of the goalies to address an essential team need. In particular, Stolarz had been mainly the one in the centre of those trade rumors. However, that may not be the best idea, at least for the Leafs. As one of the teams that had lost the most man-games this season due to injuries, having more options to remain in the organization is the best course of action. Already this season alone, both Woll and Stolarz had seen time on the sidelines, with Stolarz being out for a significant chunk of the year. Keeping all of them in the organization down the stretch and (hopefully) into the playoffs will ensure that the Leafs have three goaltenders that could take the reigns in net and run with it without worrying too much about health issues.
Another idea that was brought up involved keeping all three goalies up with the Leafs in Toronto for the remainder of the season. That wouldn’t be a good idea either, as using a three-goalie setup will take a lot of playing time away from each other, making it really hard for any one of the goalies to get into a winning rhythm and groove. It would also take away one roster spot whether it be a forward or defenseman for Leafs head coach Craig Berube to use when constructing their lineup for matchups against the opposition.
As a result, the best course of action would be sending Hildeby to the Marlies and go with the tandem of Woll and Stolarz initially. With Hildeby still developing and rounding into NHL form, he should actually be playing more than sitting, so sending him back down would give him ample playing time to fully mature into his position. Yes, Stolarz may have struggled earlier on in the year, compiling a dismal 3.51 GAA and .884 save percentage in 13 games of action. But how much of that had to do with potential underlying ailments is unknown, given he has a proven track record of having a GAA below 2.70 and save percentage above .915 for his career. Therefore, he should be given a shot to see if he could return to his dominant form seen last season for the Leafs, and if he does falter again, then Toronto can think about what the next course of action would be, whether that includes bringing Hildeby back up or not.
Nevertheless, the Leafs will be in a good position with a luxury of riches for their goaltending position going forward, something that most NHL teams couldn’t say the same for.