The Maple Leafs receive encouraging news as Craig Berube expects Anthony Stolarz to return to the Maple Leafs during their upcoming road trip. Stolarz has been out since November 11th with an upper-body injury. The Maple Leafs begin their four-game round trip on Sunday night as they face off against the red-hot Colorado Avalanche. It seems that Stolarz will be returning to game action soon, but the exact timeline has yet to be released.
Early season struggles for Stolarz
Berube mentioned, following the Maple Leafs' morning skate, that Stolarz has been coming along well. He also mentioned that he has been back on the ice over the past week, and he is close to returning to game action. Stolarz has had an up-and-down season with the Maple Leafs, as when he did play at the beginning of the season, his struggles were shown. In 13 contests, he has a .884 save percentage with a goals against average of 3.51. It will be interesting to see how the Maple Leafs treat Stolarz moving forward. Will they throw him into a ton of game action right away, or run a three-man tandem with Dennis Hildbey and Joseph Woll?
Craig Berube says Anthony Stolarz is progressing well and expects he'll join the team for the upcoming four-game road trip. @BodogCA
— David Alter (@davidalter) January 10, 2026
Dennis Hildeby and Joseph Woll have been a solid tandem for the Maple Leafs as of late. Joseph Woll recorded his fourth career shutout on Saturday night in a 5-0 win over the Vancouver Canucks. Hildeby was solid on Thursday night in a 2-1 overtime win over the Philadelphia Flyers. The Maple Leafs' goaltending duo have a save percentage of over .916, which is one of the best in the NHL. Stolarz will be an addition to the Maple Leafs tandem, however he will have to earn his way back in the lineup. The Leafs are in too close a playoff race to be giving Stolarz a chance; they need to ride the hot hands, which are Hildeby and Woll.
Progression in the right direction
The Maple Leafs head into a critical road trip where they will need to continue their hot streak. We will have to wait for a more formal update on Stolarz to have a set timeline for his return. Just having the New Jersey native rejoin the Maple Leafs is a big step in the right direction, and proof of really progression.