Maple Leafs Must Be Careful With Anthony Stolarz
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
With him making his 11th start in 14 games, Anthony Stolarz may be at risk of being overworked, which is something Toronto can't afford to risk.
Coming into Wednesday's game against the Utah Mammoth, Anthony Stolarz has really only been the one goalie Toronto has been able to count on. Leading them on a two-game win streak, he's picked things up considerably after a tough stretch.
He was solid yet again in a 5-3 victory over the Mammoth, and with the return of Joseph Woll expected fairly shortly, it's going to give the team exactly what they need, which is their goalie tandem of last year that led them to a ton of success.
For Toronto, they have to hope that's sooner rather than later.
Craig Berube's Challenge in Managing Stolarz's Workload
Stolarz has started in 78.5% of Toronto's games this season, and he's had to because while Cayden Primeau had looked okay, his underlying stats show he may not have been the best solution to the Joseph Woll situation.
That means Stolarz, who already has injury concerns, to shoulder the workload and it seems like teams understood that and decided to run him every chance they get.
He was shoved around against Seattle and decided to take matters into his own hands; a clear sign enough was enough.
Why the Maple Leafs Can't Risk Another Goaltending Setback
It's up to Toronto's players to protect him, and if they don't it could end up disastrous for the team this season.
If they end up losing him, it's going to rest on Woll's shoulders to lead the team, and with a lack of playing time and preparation, he could end up faltering hard and creating a tough situation for the Maple Leafs.
That means the team needs to find a way to bring in someone else, perhaps making a trade for someone like Brandon Bussi, especially if Carolina is able to get healthy again.
But beyond that, they will need to then rely on Dennis Hildeby to back up Woll, and while he has shown signs of progress, his NHL capabilities have been very hit and miss thus far.
This is a very good goaltending team, though one that has a lot of injury concerns. Brad Treliving can't afford to overwork Stolarz even if he feels like he can handle the workload.
If he does, it might end up completely ruining the entire season.
| POLL | ||
NOVEMBRE 6 | 1117 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Must Be Careful With Anthony Stolarz Should Toronto get a better backup for Anthony Stolarz? | ||
| Yes | 529 | 47.4 % |
| No | 588 | 52.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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