As the IIHF World Hockey Championships are well underway, many of the Maple Leafs participating have seen success as key contributors to their countries; however, Joseph Woll has struggled with Team USA to begin the tournament.
Joseph Woll has appeared in two games for the USA so far, and hasn't performed to the standards anyone believed he would heading into the championships.
Rough start for Woll at IIHF World Hockey Championships
In the USA's first game against Switzerland in a gold medal rematch from last year, Woll stopped 17 of the 20 shots he faced in a 3-1 loss. This loss came as a shock to many, but Woll's play was underwhelming to say the least. He didn't get the start in their 5-1 win over Great Britain, but was given another chance against Finland on Monday. During Monday's contest, the Maple Leafs netminder was pulled after giving up five goals on ten shots. Woll was replaced by Devin Cooley in the second period as the USA lost 6-2.
Joseph Woll's play is starting to become concerning
Woll's play should be concerning for the Maple Leafs, as people expected Woll to use this tournament as a chance for him to refind his game. During the Maple Leafs media availability, Woll took responsibility for his game, understanding he needs to be better heading into next season.
“I think it was a bit of up and down. I felt like I had some stretches where I was feeling good about my game, and some stretches where things weren’t necessarily going my way. At the end of the day, I felt, if I look at the season as a whole, I feel like maybe I’ve had some stuff left on the table." Woll said at the Maple Leafs' end-of-season media availability.
Right now, it looks as if his game is beginning to trend in the wrong direction. While there is still lots of time during the IIHF World Hockey Championships for Woll to bounce back, Don Granato, USA's head coach, may begin to cut his minutes moving forward. While his play is concerning, the summer is just beginning, and Woll has lots of time to get his game back in the right place as the Maple Leafs hope to get back into the playoff circle heading into the 2026-27 campaign.
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