Item #2: Anthony Stolarz is no amateur
When the Leafs signed Stolarz, the general feeling was one of disappointment. It was a sign that the club had capitulated and settled for a lesser-known netminder to support Woll.
Personally, I would have preferred a more experienced goaltender to back up Woll, but the more I thought about the situation, the more sense Stolarz made.
Stolarz isn’t exactly young. He’s 30, and surprisingly, has played in parts of eight seasons. Despite his seemingly journeyman status, he’s only played in 108 NHL games. Yet, he has a career 2.69 GAA and a .915 SV%. That’s not bad for a guy that hasn’t seen much action.
So, it seems the plan is for Stolarz to be the safety net in case Woll gets hurt or falters. In fact, Stolarz opens the door to two potential scenarios.
First, Craig Berube decides to go with a 1A-1B tandem. That might be the likeliest situation while the club determines who could be the starter. If no one runs away with the job, the tandem could remain even heading into the playoffs.
Second, Berube chooses to go with the hot hand. In other words, Berube will go with whoever is playing well. That could mean one goalie getting three or four starts in a row before the other sees any game action. That scenario could work, especially as the season drags on.
Ultimately, Stolarz seems destined to be the backup. Unless he has an outstanding training camp and plays lights out at the start of the season, he’ll sit more often than not. However, Stolarz must be sharp because there’s no telling when Berube might call his number.