Last Wednesday Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz was removed after the first period against the Anaheim Ducks with an apparent knee injury and initial reports was that he was going to be out day-to-day.
Tuesday afternoon, TSN Sports reported that an MRI revealed a "pebble" was located in his knee and the Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender would have a procedure on Wednesday in New York to fix the issue and as such he would be out 4-6 weeks.
Stolarz joined the Maple Leafs this past off-season after signing a two-year deal that carried a cap hit of $2.5 million. He was proving to be one of the better goalies in the league posting a 2.15 goals against average and .927 save percentage on the season.
Entering the season, the Maple Leafs had two goalies in Joseph Woll an Anthony Stolarz who had a track record of having starting goalie capabilities, but both had struggled staying healthy. Neither goalie had reached the 30-game mark in any NHL season and it may look like that streak will continue this year.
Toronto Maple Leafs Goalie Anthony Stolarz Is Out for Weeks
Woll, who started the season on the injured list will now be the clear number one goalie going forward and while his numbers aren't quite as good as Stolarz they have still be all-star calibre. Woll has posted a 2.24 goals against average and .918 save percentage through 12 games. However, Berube will want to be very careful with his workload as the team has four games in six nights starting Wednesday heading into a three day Christmas break followed by a back-to-back with travel when they return.
Anthony Stolarz will undergo a procedure tomorrow in New York to remove a loose body in his knee.
— TSN (@TSN_Sports) December 17, 2024
He’s expected to miss 4-6 weeks. pic.twitter.com/kqu7UAeFCt
As of right now, rookie Dennis Hildeby was recalled last week to fill in over the weekend and he got the start on Sunday against the Buffalo Sabres where he turned away 24 of 27 shots for collect his second win in three starts this season. The Toronto Marlies had been going with three goalies this season and he had the weakest numbers of the goalies posted a 2.73 goals against average with an .897 save percentage.
Treliving and Berube may feel inclined to bring Matt Murray up to split the duties with Woll as the veteran goalie may be more suited for a longer stint. Murray has started seven games with the Marlies posting a 3-1-2 record with a 2.15 goals against average and .919 save percentage. The risk of recalling Murray is when Stolarz returns he would require waivers to be sent back to the Marlies and it may be more important to have him during the playoffs in case of another injury.
Maple Leafs management is losing trust in fans and media
In a common occurrence this season when a player goes down with an injury the Maple Leafs declare the player is day-to-day and that the injury is not concerning. The club is better off saying the timeline is unknown at this time, rather than making it seem like they may miss just a game.
Speaking of players that are day-to-day, David Kämpf is returning to the line-up Wednesday night. The Czech born center has not played since November 16 against the Edmonton Oilers and has no goals with just three assists in 18 games this season.