Maple Leafs Are Playing a Dangerous Game With Anthony Stolarz

Anthony Stolarz is getting a lot of trust for Toronto with their current situation has opened up some additional responsibility for Anthony Stolarz in net, and it's something that Toronto will have to manage carefully.

Joseph Woll is still away from the team for personal reasons, leaving Anthony Stolarz in charge for Toronto, with newcomer Cayden Primeau as the backup and Dennis Hildeby waiting with the Marlies.

Neither Primeau or Hildeby have shown starter potential, and even as backups have something to prove, which leaves Stolarz with not just the starting role de facto, but with a much larger workload than would have been anticipated.

It's up to Anthony Stolarz to take the reins, but Toronto will have to tread lightly and not overwork their starter, which means Cayden Primeau also being able to step up in relief. It's a necessity for the Leafs to succeed.

Toronto has Anthony Stolarz set forward as the starter, and unless Joseph Woll comes back soon, it could be a very long season for Stolarz, and may have him facing heavy usage.

Stolarz will be making his fifth start in six games for Toronto against the Seattle Kraken, while having proven he has earned this opportunity, it's a sign that Stolarz could be faced with an incredibly difficult path as the Leafs starter.

There will need to be proof that Cayden Primeau can take on at least a rotational starting role every third game for the Leafs. Primeau has struggled in the NHL, but his AHL numbers had Toronto take a chance claiming him off waivers.

While Stolarz has to earn keeping his starter role, it's also up to Primeau, and if he returns, Woll, to be able to be there in relief and keep Stolarz from playing too much.

The Toronto Maple Leafs situation in net has been both a blessing and a curse for Anthony Stolarz. The net is his to own until Joseph Woll gets back, and he'll get all the opportunity to prove himself, but so deep in the spotlight, he'll have to prove how much of a starter he can be.

The one question facing Anthony Stolarz isn't if he has earned the starter role, because he very much has. The question is how far can he be pushed in the regular season?

Stolarz has never played more than half of a full season. This season he's projected to both surpass his games played record, but also be relied upon heavily by the Leafs in the process.

The 31-year-old is very much a late bloomer who has earned the heavy workload with the dependency he has shown, but has also been forced into this spot by the loss of Woll and the uncertainty over Cayden Primeau as the Leafs backup.

The Leafs have had weirder starters emerge, the team that turned a 34-year-old AHL lifer in Johnny Bower into a legend and in recent years has made starters out of career backups such as Jack Campbell and Jonathan Bernier, goalies come and confuse, but in many cases work out for Toronto.

Stolarz could end up hitting the 60 game mark, especially depending on when Joseph Woll will be back and how Cayden Primeau, and potentially Dennis Hildeby, perform with chances in net.

Although he has shown he's deserved a proper starter opportunity, 60 games is a big risk for a player like Stolarz who hasn't done so before. There is also the question of how this would impact Stolarz by the end of the season. Would he get burnt out at a point?

Stolarz hasn't played a heavy workload and has succeeded in moderation, will that be replicated with a larger opportunity?

The Toronto Maple Leafs face a major risk with Anthony Stolarz, and with all the talent he has, Toronto will be having to balance keeping Stolarz from being overworked, but managing their backup options to keep Stolarz rested, and avoid having a worn out Stolarz by the postseason.