The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping to make the playoffs once more this season, however this time they want to have extra success than they’ve had in current campaigns. With their aggressive offseason that included additions to their blue line in Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, their intention to make a push for his or her first Stanley Cup since 1967 is evident. In addition they went out and bolstered their goaltending depth by signing Anthony Stolarz, who was simply a part of the Stanley Cup champion-winning Florida Panthers, in hopes of addressing certainly one of their largest points heading into the brand new marketing campaign.
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Whereas Stolarz wasn’t the starter because the Panthers made a push for a championship, he performed nicely sufficient to justify getting a pay elevate on his new cope with the Maple Leafs. At 30 years outdated, Stolarz solely has 108 video games below his belt however has posted a formidable 2.69 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .915 save share (SV%) with 43 wins. Final season, he posted a 2.03 GAA and a .925 SV% via 27 video games with 16 wins and two shutouts. Regardless of his relative lack of expertise, the Maple Leafs took an opportunity on Stolarz with a two-year deal price $2.5 million yearly.
With Joseph Woll probably coming into the brand new season because the starter, including a robust backup like Stolarz was a smart move. Woll has had some harm points over the previous few seasons, and it looks like goaltending accidents comply with the Maple Leafs round. Matt Murray has had some severe harm points previously, and the now-departed Ilya Samsonov was coping with some issues throughout 2024 postseason, so signing one other goalie made probably the most sense.
Stolarz Has Confirmed His Value, However Maple Leafs’ Goaltending Historical past Is Shaky
The Maple Leafs have had a tricky historical past of goaltending points other than the accidents. Jack Campbell left to affix the Edmonton Oilers on a large five-year contract which failed miserably, as he slipped down their depth chart, and was ultimately purchased out after two seasons the place he couldn’t discover his recreation, and is now preventing for a job with the Detroit Pink Wings. Petr Mrazek was a hopeful addition within the 2021-22 season, however his inconsistency pressured the Maple Leafs to make a commerce after he posted a 3.34 GAA and a .888 SV% via 20 video games.
In that very same season, the Maple Leafs went via 5 totally different goaltenders who performed a minimum of one recreation and weren’t capable of finding a solidified starter. The 2022-23 season was a lot of the identical — despite the fact that Samsonov was capable of play nicely sufficient to justify taking part in greater than half of their video games, they nonetheless went via 5 goalies. Getting into the 2024-25 season, the Maple Leafs have Woll, Stolarz, and Murray on their goaltending depth chart as they appear to lastly discover a robust sufficient tandem to make it into the playoffs and push to finish their Stanley Cup drought.
One of many Maple Leafs’ largest points has at all times been their goaltending. They’ve now solved their defensive depth points, and it looks like they’ve the deepest goaltending they’ve had in a very long time. Whereas they might have solved their largest query mark heading into the season, there’s nonetheless a large threat related to Woll and Stolarz as a tandem. Murray would possibly be capable to play his approach into the tandem since his Stanley Cup-winning expertise might be an asset when the postseason rolls round, however that’s why Stolarz might be the X-factor this season. If Stolarz can show to be a starting-caliber goalie, the Maple Leafs might lastly be capable to break each curse and make a robust playoff push reasonably than endure one other season of disappointment.
