The uncomfortable Joseph Woll question the Maple Leafs can't dodge anymore
Photo credit: Sam Navarro-Imagn Images
TSN co-host Jamie McLennan brought up a serious concern for the Maple Leafs that they need to address sooner than later when it comes to their goaltending.
Although the Toronto Maple Leafs are coming into their game Saturday night, they are riding a three-game win streak and looking for redemption against the Montreal Canadiens, and finally back at home after a long road stretch.
But they are doing so with a banged up crease, as both Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll are dealing with injuries, and it'll be up to Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov to hold down the fort in the meantime.
There's no clear timeline for either goalie's return, and it's a huge blow to the Maple Leafs who were finally getting their footing under them before losing Woll, and it could end up shaking their confidence a bit.
The Joseph Woll cycle 'Noodles' is talking about
TSN analyst Jamie McLennan believes there may be some frustration overall given the team seems to follow the same pattern; get hot, then run into a roadblock.
McLennan discussed the situation on the latest episode of Overdrive and explained that the Maple Leafs seem to take one step forward, two steps back when it comes to staying consistent and more importantly; healthy.
McLennan stated:
I got some concern guys, I'm watching the game, seeing him do the knee flex; like 'Oh no.'
It's unfortunate because he played so well and the Leafs are going to be up against it, and a tough schedule but every team has this going until the Olympics.
We have this guy who goes through these stretches, he plays so well but if he can't last for more than 10 games.
It always feels like we're saying 'Joseph Woll is coming back, oh Joseph Woll is coming back. But it's frustrating to keep hearing that because he can't stay healthy in general.'
It's unfortunate because he played so well and the Leafs are going to be up against it, and a tough schedule but every team has this going until the Olympics.
We have this guy who goes through these stretches, he plays so well but if he can't last for more than 10 games.
It always feels like we're saying 'Joseph Woll is coming back, oh Joseph Woll is coming back. But it's frustrating to keep hearing that because he can't stay healthy in general.'
Since breaking in, Woll has never played more than 45 NHL games in a season and has repeatedly seen strong stretches cut short by injuries or absences.
His raw numbers are outstanding with a career save percentage of .912 with a 2.72 GAA but the sample sizes are always small. That gap between talent and availability is exactly what McLennan is concerned about.
It's certainly frustrating given that Toronto basically got a month of Woll before he was down again; he missed the first part of the season on a personal leave of absence.
We've seen this before with Woll. In 2023 he was excellent against Boston before getting hurt in the final seconds. He started last year on injured reserve, and this season began on a personal leave before another setback. The pattern is the same: he plays very well, then something interrupts the run.
It's a tough pattern to deal with especially when your other starter is also injury-prone and dealing with what was once a 'short-term' injury now stretching nearly a month.
How long can the Leafs keep building around 'if Woll stays healthy'?
Well, when he's on the ice he is fantastic, but since we've see that isn't always feasible, it's part of why Toronto went out and got Stolarz.
Injuries happen to everyone, and very rarely do you have a player who can withstand the rigors of an NHL season without being banged up. But this is going on three years in a row, and if Toronto wants to succeed while they have a window; healthy goaltending is a main focus.
We had complaints for years about how Toronto couldn't find consistent goaltending, but now they have; they can't stay healthy. They have to hope Dennis Hildeby pulls a James Reimer and plays out of his mind and grabs the #1 gig and runs with it.
Until the organization offers a firm update on either goalie, Treliving is basically stuck between overreacting and hoping Woll's body finally cooperates.
Are you going to pay a premium for a goalie, knowing that you might have to use him sparingly? What if Woll stays healthy? What happens to everyone when Stolarz returns?
That's the uncomfortable part for management: if they spend real assets on another goalie and Woll finally strings together 40-50 healthy games, they've burned their last bit of a future.
If they don't, and this latest setback lingers, they risk wasting another year of Auston Matthews' and William Nylander's seasons and finish with another disappointing end.
It brings a lot of questions that will remain unanswered until the Maple Leafs give an indication of when we can expect either of their goalies back.
Until the Leafs either insulate Woll with a more proven and healthy goalie or pivot entirely, every time he reaches for his knee the whole season hangs in the balance, and that's the part they can't dodge anymore.
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