Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Joseph Woll

Maple Leafs Goalie Anthony Stolarz Making Progress

at CDT | by 2 Comments

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz continues to make progress from his injury, head coach Craig Berube told reporters, including TSN’s Mark Masters. However, Berube added that Stolarz hasn’t returned to skating.

The team has not formally announced why Stolarz remains out, but he was injured in Game 1 when Florida’s Sam Bennett hit him in the head with his arm, causing Stolarz to leave the game. He was seen vomiting on the bench and was eventually taken to the hospital for evaluation. Berube confirm that Stolarz was doing well and discharged from the hospital later that night. He performed well in the team’s first round series against the Senators, with a .901 save percentage in those six games.

In his place, backup Joseph Woll has done a commendable job, leading Toronto to a 2-1 series lead against the Panthers. However, he has just a .869 save percentage in those games and is coming off of an overtime loss where he let in five goals. It also appears the defending champs are beginning to exploit Woll’s puck handling abilities, per NHL.com’s Mike Zeisberger. As Berube noted: “A lot of those rims, they’re up, they’re not on the ice, and that’s by design. If they can get a good lick on it, they’re going to put it off the glass, and it’s pretty tough for him to come out and play those. We’re going to have to move it quick.”

Toronto’s goalie situation is in a tough spot with Stolarz’s injury and a sickness to third option Matt Murray, who was unable to suit up for Game 3. Murray’s status for Game 4 isn’t yet known, but if he’s unable to go, it would likely signify that rookie Dennis Hildeby would serve as backup again. Ironically, the most playoff-experienced goaltender on Toronto’s roster is Murray — the same netminder who burst onto the scene with the Pittsburgh Penguins and backstopped them to consecutive Stanley Cup titles. However, since leaving Pittsburgh, his play has declined, and he made only two appearances for Toronto this season.

Anthony Stolarz Does Not Travel With Toronto For Game 3

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz will not travel with the team for their Game 3 matchup against the Florida Panthers, per an ESPN release.

The team has not formally announced why Stolarz remains out, but he was injured in Game 1 when Florida’s Sam Bennett hit him in the head with his arm, causing Stolarz to leave the game. He was seen vomiting on the bench and was eventually taken to the hospital for evaluation. Berube confirm that Stolarz was doing well and discharged from the hospital later that night.

In his place, backup Joseph Woll has done a commendable job, leading Toronto to a 2-0 series lead against the defending champs. One of the more active backups in the league, Woll started half of Toronto’s games this season, securing a 27-14-1 record to go with a .908 save percentage. He also has a .919 career save percentage in the playoffs through nine appearances.

However, the Leafs’ best path forward undoubtedly relies on a healthy tandem of Stolarz and Woll. Ironically, Toronto’s most experienced goalie in the playoffs is their third option, Matt Murray, who burst onto the scene with the Pittsburgh Penguins and helped them secure back-to-back cups. But he hasn’t been the same player since leaving Pittsburgh and appeared in just two games with Toronto this season.

On the season, Stolarz appeared in 34 games with a 21-8-3 record and .926 save percentage. He delivered a strong performance as the team’s primary goaltender during their six-game first-round series against the Ottawa Senators. And although he only appeared in one playoff game last season, Stolarz gained valuable experience serving as Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup during Florida’s run to the Stanley Cup Final — the same team he and the Maple Leafs are now aiming to eliminate.

Maple Leafs Activate Joseph Woll From Injured Reserve

at CDT | by 2 Comments

The Maple Leafs announced they’ve activated goaltender Joseph Woll from injured reserve. Netminder Dennis Hildeby was returned to AHL Toronto from his emergency loan in a corresponding transaction to open a roster spot.

There’s a chance Woll will make his season debut and start tonight against his hometown Blues, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. Even if not, he’ll dress as the backup to Anthony Stolarz, who initially signed with Toronto in free agency to be a 1B option behind Woll but has stolen the show thus far with a .938 SV% and 1.83 GAA through five games.

Woll, 26, spent the first couple of weeks of the regular season on the shelf due to what head coach Craig Berube called “lower-body tightness.” He was on Toronto’s opening night roster but landed on IR hours before their season opener against the Canadiens on Oct. 9. The netminder spent over a week off the ice before returning to practice last Friday.

A third-round pick of the Leafs back in 2016, Woll was a full-time NHL option for the first time last season. A high ankle sprain cost him nearly three months in the middle of the season and limited him to 25 appearances in what amounted to a three-goalie rotation with Martin Jones and Ilya Samsonov, neither of whom are still in the organization. He churned out slightly above-average numbers, logging a .907 SV%, 2.94 GAA, and 2.6 GSAA with a 12-11-1 record.

That showing, plus a sublime .964 SV% and 0.86 GAA in nearly 140 minutes of postseason action in Toronto’s first-round loss to the Bruins, earned him a three-year, $11MM contract extension over the summer that goes into effect for the 2025-26 season. This year, he still costs just $766.7K against the salary cap as part of a three-year, $2.3MM deal he signed back in 2022.

Assuming he can stay healthy for the rest of the campaign, he’ll surely eclipse the career-high 23 starts and 25 appearances he set last season. Whether he takes the lion’s share of the starts the rest of the way is another question entirely, given how well Stolarz has started the campaign, but it would be surprising to see the Leafs deviate too far away from a 50/50 split between the pipes the rest of the way.

For the 23-year-old Hildeby, his NHL debut was a mixed showing. The 2022 fourth-round pick had been on emergency call-ups at some points last season but never got into a game. Now the No. 3 option behind Stolarz and Woll after outplaying veteran Matt Murray during training camp, he was called up as soon as Woll landed on IR. He made two starts while backing up Stolarz to begin the season, looking excellent in his debut against the Devils in Toronto’s second game. But after making 21 saves on 23 shots in his debut, the Swede gave up six goals on 38 shots against the Blue Jackets in a 6-2 loss on Tuesday.

Hildeby now returns to the Marlies, where he posted a .913 SV%, 2.41 GAA, 21-11-7 record, and four shutouts in 41 games last season. It was his first in North America after spending his entire development in his native Sweden. The 6’7″, 223-lb netminder earned an All-Star Game nod for those strong numbers.

Evening Notes: Woll, Guhle, AHL Eligibility

at CDT | by 2 Comments

David Alter of The Hockey News is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll could be ready to return to action as early as Tuesday. The news comes from Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube, who said it’s possible the 26-year-old would play tomorrow night when Toronto takes on the Columbus Blue Jackets. Woll has been dealing with groin tightness since training camp in early October. His injury has thrust summer free agent signing Anthony Stolarz into a lot of work early in the season as the veteran netminder has played five of Toronto’s first six games entering action tonight.

Woll signed a three-year extension early in the summer and appeared to have the inside track to the starter role as he entered training camp. The Dardenne Prairie, Missouri native was terrific last season for the Maple Leafs, posting 7.2 goals saved above expected (as per Money Puck) in 25 games.

In other evening notes:

  • Eric Engels of Sportsnet reports that Montreal Canadiens defenseman Kaiden Guhle is out day-to-day with an upper-body injury and did not participate in Canadiens practice earlier today. Guhle has been dealing with the ailment since late last week and didn’t play on Saturday night against the Islanders. The 22-year-old missed nearly all of Canadiens training camp after having his appendix removed and has had an uneven start to the season, posting good offensive numbers, but has been abysmal on the possession front (34.5% CF% at even strength as per Hockey Reference).
  • Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News is reporting that a source of his has told him that the next NHL Collective Bargaining Agreement could have AHL eligibility as an option for 19-year-olds written into it. The news could be another challenge for the CHL who are preparing to navigate the new NCAA eligibility rules. However, the news would be good for players such as Sabres forward prospect Matt Savoie who just spent his age-19 season in the WHL last year.

East Notes: Woll, Bunting, Jarry

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll revealed to the media that he has been dealing with groin tightness (as per Nick Barden of The Hockey News). The issue has kept him out of regular-season action, but Woll feels as though he should be back sooner rather than later.

It’s possible that the issue could have occurred during training camp in early October, but Woll didn’t get into the specifics regarding where and when the groin issue began to surface. During the moment in question on October 3rd, Woll slid across his crease to make a save and looked to be in discomfort as he moved back to his feet.

The Maple Leafs are unlikely to rush Woll as Anthony Stolarz has been terrific this season thus far.

In other Eastern Conference notes:

  • Michelle Crechiolo of Pens Inside Scoop tweeted the Pittsburgh Penguins line rushes yesterday, which appeared to show forward Michael Bunting as a healthy scratch. Bunting was moved off the second line in the Penguins loss to the Hurricanes on Friday night and he was also moved off the second power-play unit. Seth Rorabaugh of Tribune-Review Sports tweeted that Penguins head coach Mike Sullivan was asked on Friday by reporters about Bunting’s performance this season and replied, “I think our expectation is higher.” Bunting has struggled this season, with just a single assist in six games. However, his underlying numbers remain strong and could be an indicator of bad luck rather than bad play.
  • Josh Yohe of The Athletic writes that Pittsburgh Penguins general manager doesn’t appear keen on placing goaltender Tristan Jarry on waivers as a way to address the team’s goaltending predicament, not yet anyway. Jarry has struggled dating back to last year when he didn’t start the Penguins’ final 13 regular season games and is arguably third in Pittsburgh’s current goaltending ranks. The Penguins are carrying three goaltenders on the roster and are bringing Jarry, Joel Blomqvist, and Alex Nedeljkovic on their road trip through Western Canada. Jarry currently has a .836 save percentage and a 5.47 goals-against average in three games but is owed $5.375MM this season and for an additional three years after that, making him nearly unmovable.

Atlantic Notes: Red Wings, Canadiens, Woll

at CDT | by 1 Comment

The Detroit Red Wings recalled the eighth-overall pick of the 2022 NHL Draft, Marco Kasper, earlier today under emergency conditions. We now know the context under which that move was made. Max Bultman of The Athletic shares that forward Tyler Motte is being evaluated for an upper-body injury suffered in the team’s recent game against the New York Rangers.

Motte played most of Thursday’s game against the Rangers securing 9:33 of ice time but did receive quite the shot from rookie defenseman Vittorio Mancini in the first period. It became clear that Motte was unappreciative of the hit as he attempted to draw Mancini into a fight on his next shift.

With the team hopeful Kasper can give them an offensive jolt up front, the team will also gain reinforcements on the back end. Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press reports defenseman Jeff Petry is medically cleared to play in the team’s next contest tomorrow afternoon. Petry has only factored into Detroit’s opening night loss to the Pittsburgh Penguins so far as he’s been recovering from an upper-body injury.

Other Atlantic notes:

  • The Montreal Canadiens will be somewhat bruised and battered in their upcoming game against the New York Islanders tomorrow evening. Sportsnet’s Eric Engels reports that defenseman Kaiden Guhle won’t travel with the team as he’s dealing with an upper-body injury but fortunately, defenseman Mike Matheson will make the trip. Engels also shared that forward Juraj Slafkovsky would travel with the team to New York but he’s questionable to participate in tomorrow night’s action. Montreal will look to win their third contest of the season tomorrow night but may have to do so without some important pieces.
  • Goaltender Joseph Woll’s return to game action for the Toronto Maple Leafs is on the horizon as Nick Barden of The Hockey News reported the young netminder was a full participant at the team’s practice this morning. Woll has been on the team’s injured reserve with an upper-body injury since the regular season kicked off on October 9th. Toronto has gotten adequate goaltending in his absence between Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby combining for a .935 save percentage in four games with 4.2 goals saved above average according to Hockey Reference.

East Notes: Tavares, Woll, Lindgren, Aston-Reese, Red Wings

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Toronto Maple Leafs centerman John Tavares continued to sit out of the team’s practices on Monday as he recovers from illness, shares TSN’s Mark Masters. Head coach Craig Berube said that Tavares is close to a return, but wasn’t quite fit enough for practice today. Tavares already missed Toronto’s Saturday win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, replaced in the lineup by Bobby McMann and Steven Lorentz.

Tavares is taking on a much different look this season, no longer donning the team’s ‘C’ and taking yet another hit in ice time. He’s averaged roughly 17 minutes through two games on the year, continuing his slip from 18 minutes in each of the last four seasons, and 19 minutes in his first two years with the Leafs. The 2009 first-overall pick is now 34 and entering the sunset years of his career, but that hasn’t meant a lack of scoring, as Tavares continues challenging point-per-game production with 29 goals and 65 points in 80 games last year. He’s now totaled 420 points in 442 games with Toronto, including a career-high 88 points in 2018-19, his first year with the club.

In addition to updates on Tavares, Masters also shared that goaltender Joseph Woll returned to the ice before the team’s formal practice, with Berube saying he could practice tomorrow. Toronto placed Woll on injured reserve with a lower-body injury on October 9th. This marks his first return to skating, and notable progress as he looks to return to the role of starting goalie. In the meantime, Dennis Hildeby and Anthony Stolarz will continue to hold down Toronto’s crease.

Other notes from out East:

  • New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren returned to full contact at the team’s Monday practice, shares Vince Mercogliano of USA Today Sports. Mercogliano points out that Lindgren isn’t eligible to return until Thursday because of his IR placement on October 7th. Head coach Peter Laviolette shared that Lindgren’s injury was suffered in a fight with Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield, hence his full visor today. Lindgren recorded 17 points in 76 games with the Rangers last season, providing much-needed defensive accumen to the team’s top-four. He’ll get a chance to return to those top minutes when he’s eligible to return on Thursday.
  • Columbus Blue Jackets centerman Zach Aston-Reese was spotted at the team’s practice, though not a part of line rushes shares Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Aston-Reese exited the team’s Saturday game early following a high hit on his first shift of the game.  exiting the team’s Saturday game early, He’s gone without a point in two games with Columbus so far, though will certainly appreciate the chance to earn an NHL role after spending all of last season in the AHL, scoring 30 points in 61 games. Portzline points out that, should Aston-Reese sit, it will be Dylan Gambrell filling his role on the Columbus fourth-line.
  • Both forward Christian Fischer and defenseman Jeff Petry continue to sit out of Detroit’s practices with injury shares Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Both players are nursing upper-body, day-to-day ailments and are expected to miss Detroit’s Monday night game. St. James notes that their absence on Monday will allow Austin Watson to join the lineup. Albert Johansson will be the likely favorite for any vacant role on defense. Both Fischer and Petry figure to contribute depth roles when they’re able to return.

Injury Updates: Barkov, Woll, Peterka, Rust

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

7:00 PM : After originally being labeled a game-time decision, Penguins winger Bryan Rust has made his return to the lineup. It’s his season debut, returning him to his role on Sidney Crosby’s wing, where he recorded 28 goals and 56 points in 62 games last season.

2:00 PM : The lower-body injury to Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov won’t keep him out for long.  Head coach Paul Maurice told reporters including Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News (Twitter link) that the center is expected to miss two to three weeks and is expected to be ready to play by the time Florida heads overseas in early November for games in Barkov’s native Finland, if not before then.  That means he shouldn’t miss any more time relative to his original week-to-week designation.  The 29-year-old has been a high-end two-way top center for several seasons now and has put up at least 78 points in each of the last three seasons.  Harrington also noted that Florida winger Matthew Tkachuk won’t play tonight against Buffalo although his absence isn’t injury-related but rather due to illness.

Other injury news from around the NHL:

  • Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll is progressing from his lower-body injury but still has not returned to the ice, relays Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link). The netminder was expected to get the start on Wednesday’s opener but was scratched earlier in the day, landing on IR retroactively to his last preseason appearance to make a roster spot for Dennis Hildeby.  Woll is entering his second full NHL season and posted a 2.97 GAA with a .904 SV% in 25 games last season and added a 0.86 GAA with a .963 SV% in three playoff appearances.
  • While the Sabres were hoping that winger J-J Peterka would be able to suit up tonight, the team announced that won’t be the case as he’ll miss his second straight game due to a concussion. However, head coach Lindy Ruff indicated that he’s hopeful Peterka will be able to suit up on Wednesday.
  • Penguins winger Bryan Rust is listed as a game-time decision for tonight’s game against Toronto, notes Dan Kingerski of Pittsburgh Hockey Now. The veteran has been listed as day-to-day for the last couple of weeks with a lower-body injury, landing him on IR to start the season but he was a full participant in Pittsburgh’s morning skate.  Rust had 28 goals and 28 assists in 62 games for the Penguins last season.  The team has an open roster spot so they won’t have to send someone down if Rust is indeed cleared to play.

Atlantic Notes: Maple Leafs, Tavares, Benson, Peterka

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled goaltender Dennis Hildeby earlier this morning with Joseph Woll missing the next few days due to “lower-body tightness“. It’s official the latter goaltender will miss at least the next three games with PuckPedia reporting the organization has placed him on injured reserve.

PuckPedia also shared that the organization has moved forward Connor Dewar to long-term injured reserve which puts their available cap space at $337K after today’s moves. Dewar has been nursing a shoulder injury suffered at the end of last season but did skate during training camp in a non-contact jersey.

The news doesn’t bode well for the organization as injury concerns have plagued Woll since he became the full-time goaltender last season. An ankle injury suffered last year lost him nearly two months of the regular season limiting him to only 25 games played. The Maple Leafs brought in a solid insurance option this summer in Anthony Stolarz but the team prefers to have both netminders healthy and available.

Other Atlantic notes:

  • Although many of the headlines will be taken by Mitch Marner’s extension negotiations, the Maple Leafs have another big one to focus on. Pierre LeBrun writes in The Athletic that the organization has begun contract talks with center John Tavares who will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. LeBrun shares that there’s mutual understanding between Tavares and Toronto that there will be a pay cut upon his $11MM salary but the scale factor of change is still up in the air. That will make the extension negotiations more delicate but there is still a desire between both parties to extend their relationship.
  • The Buffalo Sabres shared a report from the team’s practice earlier today showing forwards Zach Benson and John-Jason Peterka were back on the ice. They are both options for the team tomorrow night in their regular season opener in North America after sustaining minor injuries in the team’s games in Prague against the New Jersey Devils.

Maple Leafs Recall Dennis Hildeby On Emergency Basis

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Maple Leafs announced they’ve recalled goalie Dennis Hildeby from AHL Toronto on an emergency basis. He’ll back up Anthony Stolarz in tonight’s season opener against the Canadiens. Joseph Woll won’t dress after experiencing “lower-body tightness” and is also questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Devils, head coach Craig Berube told reporters (including David Alter of The Hockey News).

It’s another cup of coffee in the NHL for Hildeby, who’s yet to make his in-game debut but spent a few days on the roster last season under similar circumstances. The 23-year-old Swede was an overage draft pick out of the Färjestad BK organization in 2022, going to Toronto in the fourth round. He was one of the first players from the class to sign his entry-level contract but spent his post-draft season back on loan to Färjestad.

Hildeby arrived in North America full-time last season, emerging as a legitimate No. 3 option. The 6’7″, 223-lb netminder was excellent for the Marlies, recording a 2.41 GAA, .914 SV%, four shutouts, and a 21-11-7 record in 41 appearances. He was named to the AHL’s All-Star Game and tied for second in shutouts among rookie goaltenders.

He’s not yet breaking down the door to challenge Woll, one of the league’s better young goaltenders when healthy, or Stolarz, arguably the league’s best backup goaltender last season with the Panthers, for full-time NHL minutes, though. Nonetheless, he’ll look to at least make his NHL debut in spot duty at some point this season, the last one of his entry-level contract before becoming a restricted free agent for the first time.

That means Stolarz is landing the opening-night start in a pivotal campaign for both player and team. The 30-year-old landed a two-year, $5MM commitment from the Leafs on the open market this offseason after recording career highs across the board with Florida last year, posting a 16-7-2 record in 27 appearances with a league-leading .925 SV% and 2.03 GAA among qualified netminders. While he’s never taken on much of a significant workload, Stolarz has been an above-average netminder in his NHL minutes, recording a .915 SV% and 18.0 GSAA across 108 games.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

scroll to top