Toronto Maple Leafs Have High Hopes for Breakout Player of the Year Candidate
Goaltender Joseph Woll has flashed brilliance during his brief time in the NHL. The Toronto Maple Leafs have finally found a netminder that can lead them to playoff success.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have long been searching for a goaltender to pair with their star forwards.
During the Auston Matthews era, the Toronto Maple Leafs have had Frederik Andersen, Jack Campbell, Matt Murray, and Ilya Samsonov tried but could not lead the team to postseason success.
The wait may be over.
Joseph Woll, selected by the Leafs in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft (62nd overall), has shown great potential thus far during his abbreviated NHL appearances.
The Maple Leafs see the potential of their young goaltender, eschewing the chance to acquire a veteran netminder during the offseason. Instead, they signed Woll to a three-year extension.
Woll's Contract is Great Value For the Toronto Maple Leafs
Woll's new contract has an average annual value of $3.67 million. That is a steep increase from his entry-level deal with an AAV of $766 667, which finishes this season.
It's a significant commitment to an inexperienced goalie with 36 career NHL games. The Leafs are betting on Woll's upside.
Woll's biggest obstacle to the Maple Leafs starting job has been staying healthy. Woll working with the team's strength and conditioning staff and having better luck with injuries would be the ultimate wild card to the Leafs fortunes.
The best-case scenario is Toronto has a number-one goaltender secured to the end of the 2027-2028 season. Coincidently, that is the same year that Matthews' current deal expires. Woll's AAV, however, is roughly half or a third of what the top netminders in the NHL make.
Spending less for their starting goaltender would give the Leafs more flexibility to supplement other areas of their roster.
Woll's Playoff Performances Are Inspiring
The greatest benefit to the Maple Leafs is Woll's play. He has a calm demeanor that instills confidence in the team. That has been especially so during the postseason.
During last season's first-round playoff exit against the Boston Bruins, Woll took over the series and had the Maple Leafs on the verge of overcoming a 3-1 deficit. He looked unbeatable during back-to-back victories in Games 5 and 6.
Previous Toronto goalies were habitual in giving up soft, deflating goals. Andersen gave up questionable goals in series-deciding games versus the Bruins. Campbell gave up a soft opening goal against the Canadiens in a Game 7 loss. Samsonov hesitated and misplayed David Pastrnak's overtime series winner during last spring's Game 7 loss to the Bruins.
Woll outplayed the Bruins' Jeremy Swayman, no small feat, to force the deciding seventh game. Those two games provided the rare instance in recent playoff history when the Leafs had the best goalie.
During the playoffs, he ranked sixth in goals-saved-above-expected. He led all goalies in goals-saved-above-expected-per-60. (Stats courtesy of Moneypuck.com)
His regular season numbers also offer encouragement. He has a career .912 save percentage and a positive GSAA (goals-saved-above-average) across three seasons.
The Maple Leafs wisely recognized the talent they have in Woll. He is a goalie who raises his level of play when it matters most.
Keeping him healthy is the most important factor in the team's success this season. Woll cementing his status as the Maple Leafs starter is the key ingredient to the team challenging for the top spot in their division or the Eastern Conference.
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Joseph Woll reaching his potential ceiling as a top-ten NHL goaltender, combined with the importance of the position, opens the door to dream-like possibilities for the Toronto Maple Leafs.