As the trade deadline passed, the Toronto Maple Leafs made several trades to begin the retool, but one area that hasn't been addressed is the goaltending. With three NHL-calibre netminders, should the Maple Leafs have dealt one?
Option 1: Anthony Stolarz
The Toronto Maple Leafs have gotten up and down results from their goalies, which could have proved to be a reason for change. The season started with Anthony Stolarz struggling, as Joseph Woll was absent from the Leafs due to personal reasons. Stolarz has had underwhelming numbers since re-signing with the organization after a career season just one season ago; he currently rocks a .891 with a goals against average of 3.37. Stolarz has only played in 20 contests this season, as he went down with a nerve injury in November in a game against the Boston Bruins. Stolarz may seem like the obvious choice to move on from, but there could be a reason to trade either Joseph Woll or Dennis Hildeby.
Option 2: Joseph Woll
Joseph Woll has had stretches of incredible hockey this season, but as of late, it seems as if he can't save a beachball. Over his past few games, he has been wildly inconsistent at the wrong time. Heading back from the Olympic break, the Maple Leafs sat just six points outside the final wild card spot, with reason to believe that they had a chance of catching the final wild card spot. While this does not fall on Joseph Woll, the reason why the Maple Leafs still had a chance at making the playoffs was because of his play. It would be tough to imagine what Woll's trade value would be at this point in the season, but it is believed that management still sees the Missouri native as the netminder of the future.
Option 3: Dennis Hildbey
Dennis Hildeby has been a tremendous story for the Maple Leafs this season, when both Stolarz and Woll were dealing with injuries. In 19 games this season, Hildeby has posted a .912 save percentage and a 2.90 goals against average. This has been a great improvement from years past went put ourselves in this situation. Just one season ago, in 6 games, he struggled mightily with a save percentage of .878 and a goals against of 3.33. Hildebeast has received praise from Joseph Woll this season, mentioning “Hildeby’s been awesome.” “I see him every day in practice, he works he hard and he’s a hell of a goalie. He’s carrying the load for us right now which is great, and I think he’s doing a great job.” This is high praise from the team's number one goalie. Hidleby, at this point, heading into the offseason, does not provide much value for the Maple Leafs to even find it worth it to move on from their young AHL starting goalie.
Who should be the goalie on their way out of Toronto?
The clear-cut option for the Maple Leafs to move at this point would be Anthony Stolarz. Stolarz has struggled with injuries, and with four years remaining on his deal, cup-contending rosters heading into the offseason can bite on this opportunity to solidify their goaltending. Hildeby and Woll have become a proven tandem that is able to push themselves to be better, and when the duo were manning the net, the team produced its best success.