The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled goalie Joseph Woll from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on an emergency basis, the team tweeted Thursday.
The move was announced as starting netminder Ilya Samsonov is assumedly away from the team for the birth of his and his wife’s first child. Woll will back up Matt Murray tonight when the Leafs play the Florida Panthers, their second straight game against a hungry opponent in the thick of the Eastern Conference Wild Card race.
Woll, 24, is quickly seeing his stock rise with impressive performances in both the big leagues and the minors this season. He’s been shuttled between leagues multiple times over the past few months as minor injuries have affected Samsonov and Murray.
He’s played in three games with the Maple Leafs this season, posting a 2-1-0 record with a 2.04 goals-against average and .938 save percentage. He stopped 25 of 26 shots in his last appearance, a win against the Calgary Flames in early March. While it’s unlikely Woll plays during what will be a short call-up in Samsonov’s absence, he’s earned more opportunities at the NHL level with similarly strong numbers in the minors.
Let this guy play. He’s obviously better then what we have