MAPLE LEAFS’ ANTHONY STOLARZ COULD BE TEAM X-FACTOR THIS SEASON
The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping to make the playoffs again this season, but this time they would like to have more success than they’ve had in recent campaigns. With their aggressive offseason that included additions to their blue line in Chris Tanev and Oliver Ekman-Larsson, their intention to make a push for their first Stanley Cup since 1967 is clear. They also went out and bolstered their goaltending depth by signing Anthony Stolarz, who was just part of the Stanley Cup champion-winning Florida Panthers, in hopes of addressing one of their biggest issues heading into the new campaign.
While Stolarz wasn’t the starter as the Panthers made a push for a championship, he played well enough to justify getting a pay raise on his new deal with the Maple Leafs. At 30 years old, Stolarz only has 108 games under his belt but has posted an impressive 2.69 goals-against-average (GAA) and a .915 save percentage (SV%) with 43 wins. Last season, he posted a 2.03 GAA and a .925 SV% through 27 games with 16 wins and two shutouts. Despite his relative lack of experience, the Maple Leafs took a chance on Stolarz with a two-year deal worth $2.5 million annually.
With Joseph Woll likely coming into the new season as the starter, adding a strong backup like Stolarz was a smart decision. Woll has had some injury issues over the past few seasons, and it seems like goaltending injuries follow the Maple Leafs around. Matt Murray has had some serious injury issues in the past, and the now-departed Ilya Samsonov was dealing with some problems during 2024 postseason, so signing another goalie made the most sense.
Stolarz Has Proven His Worth, But Maple Leafs’ Goaltending History Is Shaky
The Maple Leafs have had a tough history of goaltending issues aside from the injuries. Jack Campbell left to join the Edmonton Oilers on a massive five-year contract which failed miserably, as he slipped down their depth chart, and was eventually bought out after two seasons where he couldn’t find his game, and is now fighting for a job with the Detroit Red Wings. Petr Mrazek was a hopeful addition in the 2021-22 season, but his inconsistency forced the Maple Leafs to make a trade after he posted a 3.34 GAA and a .888 SV% through 20 games.
In that same season, the Maple Leafs went through five different goaltenders who played at least one game and weren’t able to find a solidified starter. The 2022-23 season was much of the same — even though Samsonov was able to play well enough to justify playing more than half of their games, they still went through five goalies. Entering the 2024-25 season, the Maple Leafs have Woll, Stolarz, and Murray on their goaltending depth chart as they look to finally find a strong enough tandem to make it into the playoffs and push to end their Stanley Cup drought.
One of the Maple Leafs’ biggest issues has always been their goaltending. They have now solved their defensive depth issues, and it seems like they have the deepest goaltending they’ve had in a long time. While they may have solved their biggest question mark heading into the season, there is still a massive risk associated with Woll and Stolarz as a tandem. Murray might be able to play his way into the tandem since his Stanley Cup-winning experience could be an asset when the postseason rolls around, but that’s why Stolarz could be the X-factor this season. If Stolarz can prove to be a starting-caliber goalie, the Maple Leafs may finally be able to break every curse and make a strong playoff push rather than endure another season of disappointment.
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2024-09-14T04:51:50Z dg43tfdfdgfd