Joseph Woll had a 28-save shutout for the Philadelphia Flyers on Thursday, which just made John Chayka's decision to get rid of him look pretty bad.
The Toronto Maple Leafs dealt away Woll this past offseason in a package that included Simon Benoit to the Philadelphia Flyers while adding goaltender Samuel Ersson and defender Emil Andrae. Ersson was quickly traded to Ottawa for draft capital, but Andrae seems like a solid part of the team going forward.
Woll's tenure in Toronto was a little tenuous given that he was a mixed bag for the majority of the time. But he had a solid career in Toronto, but is now being given the chance to be that legitimate starter in the NHL.
Joseph Woll posts a 28-save shutout with some highlight reel saves
His performance on Thursday though was about as good as you could get, as he posted a 28-save shutout for the Flyers while making some unbelievable saves in the process:
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He looked poised and sharp all night, and he got even more praise from head coach Rick Tocchet, who has been nothing but complementary to his net minder since coming into camp:
He looks big in that, he made some really good saves, especially in the second. Solid, really solid goalie.
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Despite it being Boston's 'B' squad against the Flyers it's nonetheless impressive that Woll was able to find his footing so quickly and look like the goaltender Maple Leafs fans expected to have in their own net.
John Chayka may want to ignore Woll's stellar performance
Speaking of the Maple Leafs, they have to be turning a blind eye to Woll's performance knowing that they may have jumped the gun a little too soon. While there's issues with his consistency, when Woll is healthy and motivated - he's a fantastic goalie.
Would the Maple Leafs be better off with another Woll and Stolarz tandem? It's unknown, but it had precedent for success in 2024-25 when both men were relatively healthy. Last year was an anomalous year for Toronto as everyone was struggling, and Woll has proven to be clutch at the most surprising of times.
John Chayka may be feeling like perhaps he jumped the gun a little in getting rid of Woll, and running with a three-headed monster of Bobrovsky, Woll and Stolarz could have been something unique. Instead, the team wanted to put their faith in the Panthers' tandem from 2024's Cup win, and it's a pretty solid plan all things considered.
But the Maple Leafs have to know that giving up Woll hurt a little, and seeing him shutout the Bruins only makes that loss sting just a bit more.
Did the Maple Leafs make a mistake by trading Joseph Woll to the Flyers?
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