'No Timeline on Joseph Woll': Insider Confirms Leafs Exploring Goalie Options
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski-Imagn Images
According to NHL Insider Darren Dreger, the timeline for Joseph Woll to return to Toronto is still to be determined as he also confirmed the team is looking for help.
When news broke that Joseph Woll would be stepping away from the Toronto Maple Leafs for the foreseeable future due to personal reasons, it gave fans and the team quite the scare as there seems to be no clue as to the sudden disappearance.
What matters is he's doing okay both physically and mentally, but in the mean time when it comes to business; things are a little murky.
Anthony Stolarz will be the #1 with Dennis Hildeby backing him up until ready to return, and with an injury history himself, it's even scarier to think what might happen.
Insider Darren Dreger Lays Out the Leafs' Goalie Concerns
Which is why NHL Insider Darren Dreger confirmed that not only does Woll not have a timeframe for a return, but that Toronto is looking at options around the league to see what they can do:
Treliving is kicking tires on what goalie depth looks like around the NHL; they have no timeline on Joe Woll.
Woll, 27, had a 27-14-1 record with a 2.73 GAA and .909 SV% for the Maple Leafs last season, and was part of a franchise-best goaltender duo with Anthony Stolarz; a refreshing change for fans.
There isn't a slew of premium backups in the league, however Treliving does have a few options that might be workable such as Pyotr Kochetkov or Connor Ingram; two players who can definitely hold down the fort on the cheap.
Could Toronto Make a Move Before the Season Starts?
If Toronto were to go after Kochetkov or Ingram, it's not going to cost them too much in terms of assets, and with their minimal cap space that's crucial.
Could they end up sweetening the pot though in order to dump a contract? Maybe this is Toronto's chance to ship out David Kampf and a decent pick or prospect for a backup, and kill two birds with one stone.
Kochetkov is 26 and only makes $2-million for the next two years, meanwhile Ingram is a bit older at 28 and makes only $50,000 less than Kochetkov and is a free agent next summer; so Toronto can use him as a very cheap stop-gap.
Those are two options the team could look at, or they could also scavenge the free agent market and bring a couple of old faces like James Reimer or Ilya Samsonov; the latter only being 28.
It's less of a matter if they could make a move, but it's more like they should be making a move. Not that they don't have goaltenders but what they do have isn't really NHL ready.
Hildeby is in Toronto, which means veteran Ken Appleby has to help Artur Akhtyamov and the Marlies so there goes their one reliable backstop with NHL experience.
Though there hasn't been anything concrete when it comes to a potential deal, the circumstances that have arisen lately necessitate a goaltender acquisition because Toronto can't afford to start the season with a lack of help in the crease.
Especially since we have no idea when Joseph Woll is bound to return.
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