Insider believes the Maple Leafs may hold a valuable trade chip that nobody expected could move
Photo credit: John E. Sokolowski | imagn Images
The Maple Leafs don't have a ton of tradable assets, but with Woll and Hildeby rolling, Anthony Stolarz may have become their most valuable trade chip.
At the end of training camp, Anthony Stolarz and the Leafs came to terms on a 4-year extension that will kick in at the beginning of next season.
Hildeby's Play Changes Leafs' Plans
Stolarz was supposed to form a tandem with Joseph Woll for the foreseeable future and stabilize the Leafs' crease, much like they did last season.
Unfortunately, Stolarz and Woll have both missed significant time through the first half of the season, with Stolarz having only returned to the ice at the end of December and not expected to return until after the Olympic break.
In his absence, 24-year-old Dennis Hildeby has emerged as a capable NHL regular. Although he has an underwhelming 3-5-4 record, he has posted a respectable 2.82 GAA and a .914 save percentage at the NHL level, proving that he belongs with the big club as those are certainly big league statistics.
The Swedish goaltender is waivers exempt this season, but loses that eligibility next year, meaning the Leafs need to make a decision on who will be their duo for the 2026-27 season before opening night.
Stolarz Health May Help Leafs Solve Two Problems
With Stolarz not expected to return before the Olympic break, he will have just two weeks after until the NHL's trade deadline to show he is healthy and can string together a few solid performances.
As Sportsnet's Nick Kypreos noted on Wednesday, teams are looking for help in goal and the market is thin.
A thin goalie market may allow the Leafs to solve two problems at once; upgrade elsewhere in their lineup particularly on the blueline with Chris Tanev out, and clear their log-jam in the crease well ahead of next season.
If Stolarz can string together a few solid starts upon his return, the Leafs shouldn't have too much difficulty moving him, to a team outside of his 16-team no-trade list.
They may also be able to demand a premium for him, given his cost-certainty, past performance, and a really thin goalie market.
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Previously on Toronto Hockey Daily
| POLL | ||
JANVIER 8 | 723 ANSWERS Insider believes the Maple Leafs may hold a valuable trade chip that nobody expected could move Is Anthony Stolarz the most likely goalie for the Leafs to trade? | ||
| Yes | 627 | 86.7 % |
| No | 96 | 13.3 % |
| List of polls | ||