The Toronto Maple Leafs have been without netminder Anthony Stolarz due to an upper-body injury for more than a month, with the goalie last playing Nov. 11 against the Boston Bruins. Stolarz was initially believed to be out only on a day-to-day basis, but Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube told the media later on that Stolarz’s injury was “worse” than the team originally thought.
Yesterday, Berube answered questions from the media regarding Stolarz’s status, and per The Hockey News’ David Alter, he said Stolarz remains sidelined without a timeline to even begin skating once again.
When asked whether Stolarz’s injury could be season-ending, Berube said he “wouldn’t go there” but added that Stolarz is “not going to be on the ice anytime soon.” The fact that Stolarz looks increasingly likely to miss significant time with this injury is a serious issue for a Maple Leafs team that has struggled, as a whole, in 2025-26.
The Maple Leafs lost star winger Mitch Marner to free agency over the summer, and haven’t been able to find their footing this year. The regular season has been a formality for the Maple Leafs for more than a half-decade, with the club safely reaching playoff position in the Atlantic Division on an annual basis.
Things have been very different this year. The Maple Leafs have had far more trouble collecting points this regular season compared to the past, as they currently sit sixth in the Atlantic Division and four points adrift of the New Jersey Devils who occupy the Eastern Conference’s second Wild Card spot.
A factor in the team’s struggles this season has been goaltending. They surrender 3.26 goals against per game, which puts them just outside the top-10 in the NHL in terms of most goals against per game. Last season, Toronto surrendered the eighth-fewest goals per game in the NHL. Last season, Toronto got strong goaltending from its tandem of Stolarz and Joseph Woll, with Stolarz posting a .926 save percentage in 34 games and Woll registering a .909 save percentage in 42 games.
While Woll has kept up his high level of performance, he’s only managed to play in eight games. Stolarz, who played in 13 games before his injury, was not playing up to the standard he set last season, with an .884 save percentage. The result of injuries in the crease in Toronto has been that the Maple Leafs have had to rely on a revolving cast of goaltenders to fill in for its two established veterans.
24-year-old 2022 fourth-round draft choice Dennis Hildeby has filled in admirably, posting a .923 save percentage across 11 games. Early-season waiver claim Cayden Primeau, who has since returned to the Carolina Hurricanes organization, fared worse, posting a .838 save percentage in three games.
With Stolarz now poised to miss significant time, it’s entirely possible the Maple Leafs’ playoff hopes end up in the hands of Hildeby.
The towering Swede has been solid at the AHL level, but outside of his brief run this season and a short cameo of six games last year, he’s largely untested at the NHL level.
With so much at stake in Toronto, it’s fair to wonder whether Stolarz’s absence might prompt the club to seek outside reinforcement in net via the trade market.
Speaking of the trade market, one Maple Leafs player whose name is reportedly surfacing on the rumor mill is Matias Maccelli. According to The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta, Maccelli’s “name is making the rounds” as his struggles to find his footing in Toronto continue. Maccelli has not played since Nov. 28 and has been a healthy scratch for seven consecutive games.
Clearly, this is not what Toronto envisioned when they traded a third-round pick to the Utah Mammoth to acquire Maccelli in June. Once viewed as a promising up-and-coming playmaker during his days with the Arizona Coyotes, Maccelli’s offensive production did not survive the franchise’s move north to Salt Lake City. He scored 17 goals and 57 points in 2023-24 but only managed 18 points in 55 games last season as he lost his grip on a regular lineup spot.
There was some hope that Maccelli could find chemistry with one of Toronto’s star forwards and be able to have a breakout season, lessening the blow of losing Marner. While Maccelli certainly has the talent to have that kind of breakout campaign, the desired chemistry with Toronto’s existing scorers simply hasn’t materialized.
A pending RFA with a $3.425MM cap hit, Maccelli’s best path forward might be to be traded out of Toronto. According to Pagnotta, that may be a path forward that is already being explored.
Photos courtesy of Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images
Maccelli and ’27 2nd and Philly’s ’27 6th for Sherwood
or the same package for Bunting
Stolarz coming down with Samsonov-itis now? That extra 14-day package to Robidas Island now “missing” from the corporate desk drawer? Yep, that’s the one with the 5-star therapy option of two hours of jetted tub therapy, along with four hours in the hyperbaric chamber. Rinse and repeat until you can stop a beach ball with no pain. And no tanning! 🤕
Likely concussion related.
No team can ruin a player like Maccelli as quickly as the leafs can.
really cause he was pretty awful for Utah last year?
Who could have foreseen a risky, finesse forward healthy scratched by a mediocre Utah team continue to be healthy scratched by a Craig Berube coached team? Shocker.
Don’t see the Leafs recouping that 3rd rounder. Maybe a 4th or 5th?
It’s really hard to be a Leaf’s fan, Papi and Nylander are going through the motions without any heart in their game. Watching another season of Rielly that can’t defend and his offensive game has left the building since he met what now is his wife and it got worse with his first born. Just those three eating up around 33mil in Cap. Ad in the play of Domi, Marccelli,press box and then the constant parade of injuries and you don’t have to wonder why this team is where it is. For me I think it’s time for this Kelly to breakup the band all of it. Say goodbye to Tre, Berube and his coaching staff, the two top players and Rielly, Domi, Marccelli, Jankrok, and one way or another one of their goalies. The problem there is which one the often injured Woll or the often injured Stolarz, the way that the Hildabeast is playing you don’t want to consider him. This organization needs a complete re-set from mngt to the ice. They need a real hockey man at the top that not only know’s talent but character as well. He needs to pick his own no nonsense coach and he needs to pick his coaching staff. They should put Papi and Nylander on the trade market which should at least bring you at least two first rnd pick’s if not four first rnd and a couple of roster player’s. Rielly should get you at least a second rnd pick and a roster player, Domi is a player swap as is Marccelli and Jankrok. Let’s face it,it hasn’t worked and keeping these top dog’s together just isn’t going to work. Instead of putting yourself with the fan base through any more pain with this group. How many times can you change the complimentary player’s just to end up in the same position. It’s going to be hard for you to do but Papi and Nylander with Rielly just have to move on. I would start now and see if I can at least move out Rielly, Domi, Marccelli, and Jankrok between now and the deadline. That way you can you only have the two top dog’s to move. That’s got to be around 40mil you can aquire yourself some good player’s with that kind of Cap space. The bottom six are pretty much in place, let’s say a top RHD cost you 10mil that leaves you 30mil to fill the top six and that’s doable. You still have the rest of this season to finish at the bottom and pickup yourself a top pick in this year’s draft. Cheerz 🍻
Is Trump dead ,?