Extension Deadline Nears for Maple Leafs Star as Pressure Mounts on Front Office
Photo credit: Marc DesRosiers-Imagn Images
The contract extension deadline is nearing, and the Maple Leafs have the opportunity to give a deal to one of their most surprising additions.
As Toronto buckles down and prepares for the July 1st free agency kickoff there are still some players who are due for a contract extension and while there are some important faces, one sticks out above the rest.
Anthony Stolarz eligible for contract extension; Toronto needs to be proactive
Signing a two-year deal with the team last summer, Stolarz came in and was outstanding for the team.
Even though he dealt with an injury in the regular season, and was knocked out of the second round by a Sam Bennett elbow; there was no denying how good he was this year.
In 34 games he posted a 21-8-3 record with four shutouts while adding a 2.14 GAA and .926 SV%. Part of a tandem with Joseph Woll, they became the first Maple Leafs goaltending duo to have 20+ wins each in a season.
He quickly became the de facto starter, and with questions about Joseph Woll being able to handle pressure at times; Stolarz was stone cold.
While there are concerns about potential injuries in the future, there is no denying that if he were to stick around with Woll; who is only going to get better, they could really be a huge asset to Toronto's potential Stanley Cup push.
What would an extension cost for Anthony Stolarz?
Well it will certainly be an increase over his $2.5M per season deal he signed last year, and if Treliving was serious about keeping the goaltending locked up long-term much like his defense, then it's easy to see him acquiesce to a pay increase.
If Treliving wanted to keep him around as long as Joseph Woll is under contract, then that would constitute a two-year extension worth roughly $10M.
It doubles his current salary as a thank-you for his service, and doesn't break the bank for one of the league's better goaltenders.
The problem then arises with both Woll and Stolarz as free agents come 2028-29, and if the team is still riding a tandem; how can they choose who to pay more?
We also have the potential for the likes of Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov to be steady presences in the future, so perhaps Treliving might wanna give him an extra year and hope he'll have his replacement ready by the end.
He's not the only one who the Maple Leafs have the chance to extend either, there's still guys like Bobby McMann and Scott Laughton who might get deals too.
But none of them are as important as extending Stolarz. Without him, Toronto would be a much different, and much worse team without question.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 1 | 643 ANSWERS Extension Deadline Nears for Maple Leafs Star as Pressure Mounts on Front Office How long would you extend Anthony Stolarz's contract for? | ||
| 1 Year | 30 | 4.7 % |
| 2 Years | 184 | 28.6 % |
| 3 Years | 277 | 43.1 % |
| 4+ Years | 152 | 23.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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