Family news and upcoming specialist visit raise new questions around Stolarz

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz was injured on Nov. 11 and hasn't touched the ice since with zero indication of what is wrong with him beyond an upper-body injury.

The team said he didn't have a concussion which is good news, but stopped short at actually being transparent about the nature of his injury, and the fact he hasn't taken the ice even to get comfortable leads many to believe his season might be in jeopardy.

However, there's also been some stuff outside of hockey that has drawn Stolarz's attention away, and for good reason.

It was revealed by head coach Craig Berube that Stolarz was going to be seeing a specialist to see what is going on with his injury, but in addition to that: he also just became a father.

Sportsnet's Luke Fox relayed the information on X:

First off, congratulations to the new parents, and clearly this is something that Stolarz needs to pay attention to, and it's going to be a massive adjustment period for the veteran goalie.

It's also come at a time when Stolarz needs as much rest as possible and might not potentially get it due to his new paternal responsibilities so while it's a beautiful moment, it does affect his ability to fully heal.

With his attention now drawn to his new child, and making sure his partner is as comfortable and healthy as can be, it's going to take a little longer for Stolarz to get back to full speed.

We need to see what the specialist says regarding his injury, and there could be some great news coming out of that appointment. But if he doesn't and also doesn't start skating until potentially late January; is that enough to give Toronto an edge?

Stolarz, 31, has a 6-5-1 record but struggled with a 3.51 GAA and .884 SV%. He signed a four-year extension this past summer, and while there was hopes he would solidify the Maple Leafs net, his various injuries have become a cause for concern.

Toronto is notorious for keeping their cards close to their chest, and if they are playing cautious with Stolarz, it could be awhile before we see him take the ice in any capacity.

So will we see Anthony Stolarz back? We'd love to see it, but only time will tell and so far it hasn't been too kind to the Maple Leafs thus far.