Anthony Stolarz has officially gained the inside track on the Toronto Maple Leafs starting goaltender job. Heading into the offseason, the Leafs were in dire need of addressing their lack of a number-one netminder.
After trying out Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll, with Martin Jones sprinkled in between, the Leafs clearly needed an upgrade. However, the upgrade did not arrive. While the Toronto Maple Leafs tried to trade for Jacob Markstrom and reportedly Jusse Saros and Linus Ullmark, the best the club could do was sign Stolarz in free agency.
Well, it seems that the move worked out, at least so far. Stolarz has played well in his first three starts this season. He’s 2-1 with a 1.70 GAA and a .940 SV%. Those numbers look like Vezina-caliber stuff early on. Of course, it’s way too early to call Stolarz a Vezina candidate. Nevertheless, his numbers paint a picture of a reliable goaltender who has kept the Leafs in every game he’s played.
But perhaps the most important aspect of Stolarz’s performance has been the fact that he stepped in for the injured Joseph Woll. At the outset of the season, Woll was expected to be the starter. After all, the Leafs signed Woll to a three-year extension over the summer.
Unfortunately, Woll’s injury woes continue to plague him. He is yet to play during the regular season with no clear timeline for his return. Woll’s injury sent shockwaves throughout Leafs Nation. However, Stolarz has done his part to quell those concerns.
Anthony Stolarz has the inside track on being the Toronto Maple Leafs starter
Stolarz’s excellent start has made it so that, at the very least, Woll's injury troubles are less of a concern. If Stolarz had of gotten off to a bad start, this place would be melting down. Instead, Stolarz seems to have, at the very least, given himself some runway to earn the starters job and given Woll all the time he needs to get healthy.
I’m not saying the Leafs should trade Woll. What I am saying is that Stolarz and Hildeby have given Woll enough leeway to take all the time he needs to recover. Woll can take his sweet time getting back into playing shape as there is no concern about the Leafs becoming desperate for a goaltender.
Now, does Stolarz solve all of the Leafs’ goaltending issues? For the being, yes. Stolarz looks like he got his chance to prove he’s a solid starter and has run away with it. He may turn out to be the goalie the Leafs have been looking for, or perhaps Woll will have something to say about it, eventually.
Only one thing is certain: Stolarz has taken the pressure off Leafs management. If anything, Stolarz has made Brad Treliving look like a genius. If Stolarz can sustain his current pace, who knows, Stolarz could be the unlikely hero that backstops the Leafs to a strong playoff run.
Anthony Stolarz would not be the first goalie to seemingly come out of nowhere to backstop his team to a Stanley Cup.
But let’s not get ahead of ourselves just yet.