Tonight’s game in Boston has dealt a blow to the Maple Leafs: the team announced that Auston Matthews and Anthony Stolarz will not return due to injury. Matthews has been designated as a lower-body injury, after taking a hit from behind into the boards from Nikita Zadorov. Meanwhile, Stolarz exited after playing the entire first period. With the Leafs off to a rough start, it appeared the team was just shaking things up between the pipes, but now, the team’s #1 goaltender has been listed with an upper-body ailment on top of their superstar captain’s injury.
9:18 PM CST: Toronto Head Coach Craig Berube has provided updates, shared by Jonas Siegel of The Athletic: Stolarz is expected to be “fine”, while Matthews’ injury has no timeline or severity yet, as Berube told Siegel.
Toronto is still trying to find their way, in their new, post “Core-Four” era. 8-7-1, the team has fallen to second-to-last in the Atlantic, despite scoring the most goals in their division entering tonight. Sinking the Leafs has been in good part their own end, as they’ve allowed 60.
Matthews, always subject to criticism whether more warranted or not, has done his part with nine goals in 16 games. Now 28, he has been mostly durable in his first nine professional seasons, averaging just shy of 70 games a year. While a hit into the boards from behind from a player like Zadorov sounds highly alarming, it was a relatively routine play. Matthews got up, finished a check on Zadorov moments later in the corner, then skated to the bench without seeming bothered. The captain went to the locker room, but all things considered, it hopefully is not a major injury.
Meanwhile, Stolarz completed the first frame before Dennis Hildeby took over in net. Given that he had let in three goals on 10 shots, the update from the team that Stolarz is injured came as a bit of a surprise. The 31-year-old former top Flyers prospect is the latest example of a late-blooming goaltender, tasked with holding things down for Toronto into the near future. Stolarz was extended for four more years at $3.75MM after a strong 2024-25, where he posted a .926 in 34 games in his first campaign wearing the blue and white.
Thankfully Stolarz seems to have avoided a serious injury, as Toronto waits for Joseph Woll to return from personal leave. Woll has been practicing with the team and appeared with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies last weekend, but has no timetable to return yet. Cayden Primeau was a waiver casualty to Carolina last week after a short stint. Hildeby, currently serving as backup, has just eight NHL games under his belt.
The Maple Leafs are back in action on Thursday, hosting the Kings, and further details on the status of their superstar Matthews will be watched urgently in the meantime.
Season is up in flames. Nothing will change. Need a fire sale before the deadline. Either Matthews and or Nylander should be out the door as well. Maybe Matthews in the summer finally dealt for a fresh start.
Treliving better have the balls to do it! Organization is badly in need of a major retooling or even full rebuild as well as restocking of draft capital. Anyone outside of the goalies, Knies, Tavares and Cowan should be on the block.
There season might be over looool
Keith’s use of adjectives is so completely nauseating….the worst leaf lemming writing I have ever seen.
Treliving didn’t have a resume before he got the gig in Toronto, Then their’s the, Making Marner the scapegoat two years in a row, During the playoffs, And Let’s not forget the arrogance of the fanbase, The out of control Toronto media. The Maple Leafs are exactly where they deserve to be!!!!
Simon Benoit looks like the version who was non-tendered by a terrible Ducks team and Phillipe Myers would have trouble cracking an AHL lineup. Rielly would be a #3 or #4 on some teams and Carlo looks cooked. McCabe is playing like he gets paid per turnover.
That’s the problem with Treliving’s vision of building a “big” D corps at the expense of foot speed or puck moving ability. When these guys get up there in age it can go sideways fast.
At least they have their 1st round pick next ye– oops, never mind. Ah, well, there’s always the 2027 1st rou- ohhh, right…