The Toronto Maple Leafs have an intriguing goaltending battle ahead of next season. You would think it'd be Joseph Woll no questions asked, but that's not guaranteed.
Alongside Woll, who recently signed an extension, there's two-time Stanley Cup champion Matt Murray, who missed all of last season due to injury; and Anthony Stolarz, fresh off winning the silver chalice with the Florida Panthers. Stolarz played 27 games last season, backing up potential Sergei Bobrovsky.
Joseph Woll & Matt Murray got new deals, and now the Leafs are bringing in Anthony Stolarz.
Since the summer of 2023, the Toronto Maple Leafs have remodelled their defense corps, their bottom six, their goaltending and their front office.
With these three in the mix, it's going to be interesting to see who grabs the starting spot in net for the Leafs.
Second place isn't bad either, as the starter will need breaks throughout the 82 game season, and that's where the role of a solid backup enters the fray. It's why he automatically gets his name on the Stanley Cup if the squad are the fortunate ones to win it all. It's what Stolarz and Murray both experienced en route to their triumphs.
They know the importance of that roll better than anyone even though they both aim to back up Woll as the trusted leader between the pipes for the blue and white.