The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to play a back-to-back set this week. On Monday, the Leafs will hit the ice in an afternoon game against the Detroit Red Wings. On Tuesday, they’ll take on the Nashville Predators.
Back-to-back games generally mean goalies splitting starts. This upcoming set should be no exception. Anthony Stolarz has played both games thus far and will get back into action this week.
The change, however, could come in backup Cayden Primeau hitting the ice for the first time as a Leaf.
Primeau was a waiver claim at the tail end of training camp following Joseph Woll’s departure and James Reimer’s inability to impress.
The 26-year-old had been signed by the Carolina Hurricanes this past offseason. However, he was placed on waivers. The Maple Leafs scooped him up to back up Stolarz, meanwhile, Woll returns.
It will be interesting to see if and when Primeau gets into game action. It’s unlikely that Craig Berube rolls with Stolarz in back-to-back starts. So, Primeau should get his feet wet this week.
Stolarz’s workload could become an issue soon
Stolarz has been good for the Maple Leafs ever since joining the club. He was intended to be a 1A-1B tandem goalie, but emerged as the clear starter for Toronto.
Woll’s inability to lock down a permanent role has made Stolarz even more valuable for the Leafs. However, he has never played from than 40 games in a season. Last year, he appeared in a career-high 34 regular-season contests.
As such, Stolarz should be on pace to exceed that total this season. That’s why his workload could become an issue at some point.
The question will be just how much the Leafs want Stolarz to play. If he gets half of the starts this year, that will that someone like Primeau could be getting the other half. That might be a concerning situation for the Maple Leafs moving forward.
Ultimately, the hope is that Woll returns at some point this season and provides Stolarz with a much-needed breather. But if that’s not the case, Brad Treliving may need to take proactive action.