Maple Leafs recall top goalie prospect as Joseph Woll hits injured reserve
Photo credit: Eric Bolte-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled goaltender Artur Akhtyamov from the Toronto Marlies after placing Joseph Woll on injured reserve retroactive to Dec. 4th.
On Saturday, the Toronto Maple Leafs recalled goaltender Artur Akhtyamov in order to give Dennis Hildeby some insurance ahead of Saturday night's game against Montreal.
The news was reported by Luke Fox of Sportsnet on X, and confirmed by Dave McCarthy showing video of Hildeby warming up, and confirming Akhtyamov will back him up.
Toronto also officially announced the move on their PR account on X as well.
It's a huge blow for the Maple Leafs as they are not only down Anthony Stolarz, but now will Woll out, it will rest on the shoulders of Dennis Hildeby and Akhtyamov for the time being unless the team makes an external move.
How a rookie tandem of Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov just became the Maple Leafs' reality in net
If Akhtyamov were to appear in the game at any point on Saturday, it would be the first time he played in an NHL game so far in his young career; Toronto drafted Akhtyamov 106th overall in 2020.
Hildeby is technically the veteran between the two even if he only has 13 career starts, but he's a much different goalie than we've seen previously. He looks poised, focused, and able to read the opposition much better.
This season he's posted a 1-2-1 record with a 2.86 GAA and .919 SV%; while not amazing numbers he has been much more reliable.
Ahktyamov has spent his career with the Marlies thus far in Toronto, and this season has a 7-5-0 record with a 3.04 GAA and .896 SV%.
This is now your new starting tandem for the Maple Leafs, and while both men were certainly seen as goalies of the future, they've now been thrust into the spotlight a lot earlier than they expected.
Which could be a positive or a negative, as Hildeby could take the reins and run with them, and Akhtyamov could surprise us with reliable and consistent help when needed.
But it could also undo everything Toronto has built up over the last few games, and it'll be a true test against Montreal to see if they actually truly changed the way they approach the game, or if it was their goaltending that gave them more help than at first glance.
With no clue as to when Anthony Stolarz will return, and now Woll's status in doubt, the Maple Leafs are going to have their season resting on the shoulders of two unproven goaltenders; a risky, but unfortunately necessary gamble right now.
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