Anthony Stolarz is the Quantity One Goalie for the Toronto Maple Leafs

The Toronto Maple Leafs do not need a goalie controversy, no less than not on the primary beginning place. It’s Anthony Stolarz.

Stolarz signed a two-year contract for $5 million – a $2.5 million wage cap hit – with the Maple Leafs within the offseason. He was speculated to be the backup to Joseph Woll, who signed a three-year, $10.98 million deal – $3.66 million wage cap hit.

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Nonetheless, Woll’s harm considerations, an issue final season, crept up once more to start out the 2024-25 season. Bear in mind, final 12 months, Woll didn’t play Recreation 7 in opposition to the Boston Bruins in Spherical 1 of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs. Ilya Samsonov, now with the Vegas Golden Knights, began the sport.

Woll was speculated to be prepared for opening evening in opposition to the Montreal Canadiens however was not; thus, Anthony Stolarz grew to become the starter. He’s taking part in properly for the Toronto Maple Leafs.

For a few years, the Maple Leafs struggled with goaltending and protection. That has modified lately. To date this season with Stolarz, the place appears solidified.

Everybody desires to speak about what Stolarz did with the Florida Panthers final season when he was the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky successful a Stanley Cup. Stolarz had 2.03 objectives in opposition to common and a .925 save share. These were among the best for NHL goalies, as he performed in 27 video games.

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These numbers mustn’t shock those that have adopted Stolarz since his days with the Philadelphia Flyers. Stolarz put up strong numbers as a backup goalie, particularly in his first season, recording a 2.07 GAA and a .928 save share.

There have been many within the Philadelphia space clamouring for Stolarz to play extra. He couldn’t get in with Michael Neuvirth, Brian Elliott, and Carter Hart within the system. So, there have been indicators that Stolarz could possibly be this good.

He didn’t play a lot over the subsequent couple of seasons, particularly with the Edmonton Oilers and Anaheim Geese. Once more, when he did man the online, his numbers had been stellar.

Nonetheless, in his third season in Anaheim, the variety of video games he performed began to rise, as he recorded a 2.67 GAA and a .917 save share. Whereas his final season in Anaheim dipped beneath a .900 save share, the Geese had been a nasty group, and he stored them in lots of video games.

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Anthony Stolarz has a document of 3-2, a 1.83 GAA, and a .938 save share in a small pattern measurement with the Maple Leafs. Within the recreation in opposition to the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday evening, with the Maple Leafs up 5-1, Stolarz stopped the Lightning within the second interval, making a number of saves within the “excessive hazard zone.”

In keeping with MoneyPuck, Stolarz remains to be the most effective goalies within the NHL thus far this season. His superior stats proceed to again up his play from final season when he was with the Panthers.

The Jackson, New Jersey native and second-round choose (forty fifth total) from the 2012 NHL Draft took time to search out his recreation within the NHL, however he discovered from the most effective goalies within the NHL and received. He’s a confirmed winner and is bringing stability to the place the Maple Leafs didn’t have earlier than.

The Maple Leafs trust in Anthony Stolarz, which is why he’s the beginning goaltender, regardless that Joseph Woll is able to return from harm.