Toronto Maple Leafs netminder Joseph Woll is officially back on the roster and is set to be in the crease against the Chicago Blackhawks on Tuesday night.
While Leafs head coach Craig Berube confirmed that Woll will be back to the media earlier in the day, the official move was made later. Woll is back on the roster off the injured reserve list and young goalie Artur Akhtyamov has been reassigned to the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
The Maple Leafs have activated G Joseph Woll from IR.
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) December 16, 2025
G Artur Akhtyamov has been assigned to the Toronto Marlies (AHL).
Leafs get positive news with Woll set to return
Woll has missed the Leafs' last four games after suffering an injury during the Dec. 4 game against the Carolna Hurricanes. It was the 27-year-old's second prolonged absence already this season after he didn't start the season on the roster due to taking a leave of absence to deal with a personal issue. He missed the first 18 games of the season.
So obviously, it hasn't been the best start to the season for Woll. Add this inconsistency to the Leafs also losing Anthony Stolarz to a long-term injury that doesn't appear to be getting any better, and the expected tandem has not been a positive story for Toronto.
In the eight games that Woll has appeared in this season, it's been good though. Woll has earned a .923 save percentage and a 2.44 goals against average -- in seven of his eight starts, he has managed to register a quality start, according to Hockey-Reference. It's just about being able to stay in the crease, not what he does in it for Woll.
Thankfully, while both Stolarz and Woll were missing from the lineup, young netminder Dennis Hildeby has more than stepped up to keep the Leafs afloat. The 24-year-old came in for relief of Woll during that game against the Hurricanes and stopped all nine of the shots he faced to keep the 5-1 win in-tact. Hildeby then started all four games that Woll was absent for and in those games earned a .921 save percentage, which also included a 29-save shutout win over the Tampa Bay Lightning.
It's safe to say that we feel a little bit more positive about what the Leafs' goaltending situation is right now beyond the starting tandem when everyone is healthy. Hildeby will now be a more-than-serviceable backup for Woll going forward, until whatever Stolarz is dealing with is figured out.