Maple Leafs name starting goalie for preseason home opener

The Toronto Maple Leafs have named their starting goalie for their preseason home opener, and it's their big offseason acquisition in net, Sergei Bobrovsky.

With training camp fully underway and an accelerated schedule prior to the regular season, the Maple Leafs are already getting a good idea of who is going to make the team and who is going to be heading to the AHL. They've got a split-squad preseason game against Montreal on Saturday, with the 'A' group getting a chance to face the home crowd first.

The question then becomes who do the Maple Leafs put in between the pipes? Sergei Bobrovsky was the big fish signed in the summer, but Anthony Stolarz deserves a chance to show that last year was an anomalous season.

So who ended up earning the chance to start in front of the Toronto faithful?

Sergei Bobrovsky earns the nod in Toronto's first preseason contest

Well it seems like, barring any last minute changes, that Bobrovsky will be the one commanding the crease when it comes to Toronto's first preseason game:

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It should also be noted that head coach Jim Hiller did state that both Bobrovsky and Stolarz would be sharing the crease tomorrow night, but the minutes haven't been worked out just yet:

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Bobrovsky signed a three-year, $21-million deal this summer after a strong stretch with the Florida Panthers that included back-to-back Stanley Cups in 2023-24 and 2024-25. Part of Toronto's plan to win now, there have been nothing but rave reviews from both coaches and teammates regarding Bobrovsky's arrival.

Bobrovsky will head the group that he will likely see for the majority of the season, as that 'A' group will contain the NHL regulars including Auston Matthews, Matthew Knies, William Nylander, and John Tavares. It's also going to be the first time Gavin McKenna takes the ice for the Maple Leafs in game action, which is something everyone has been patiently waiting for.

Sergei Bobrovsky can set the tone from the moment the puck drops

Bobrovsky can do a lot right away, and he's going to have to in order to ensure that fans and GM John Chayka aren't regretting putting so much stock into him. If he comes out showing glimpses of that Vezina winner we know him to be, then despite it being a small sample size, gives everyone a lot of hope.

It's going to take time for him to get used to things for sure, and a shortened camp doesn't necessarily help with things but he can prove to everyone that there's nothing to worry about.

Showing poise and being able to subdue Montreal's 'B' group on Saturday will only help build confidence in him going forward even if he's playing against weaker competition.

A lot of the focus is going to be on Auston Matthews and Gavin McKenna as we see how they are going to respond to their own individual pressures, and there's going to be a lot of eyes on that revamped bottom-six as the team proves they can compete once again.

But a key part of that competitiveness is going to be Bobrovsky's ability to command the crease like he does, and we'll get the first taste of that Saturday night as he takes the ice for the first time as a Maple Leaf.

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