Joseph Woll Breaks Silence on Leave of Absence From Maple Leafs

The Leafs surprised everyone at their practice on Friday when only Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz joined the team for practice, while Cayden Primeau did work by himself on a separate rink.

The move was likely to get Woll to see as many pucks as possible, with him set to return to game action on a conditioning stint with the Toronto Marlies this weekend.

Whether the 27-year-old plays both games over the weekend remains a question. That will likely depend on how he feels after Saturday's game, which will be his first game action since mid-May against the Florida Panthers.

Woll rejoined the Leafs a couple of weeks ago. At the time, GM Brad Treliving noted that he would not speak with the media the day of his return, but would when he was ready.

Well, here we are a couple of weeks later, and the former third-round pick was finally ready to address the media.

Woll began his media session on Friday by thanking his teammates and the organization for their support. He also thanked the media for respecting his privacy.

During his media availability, Woll told reporters that he did not want to respond to questions regarding the specifics behind his absence. He also told the media that if/when he feels comfortable, he will bring it up of his own accord. His follow-up message after this was simple:

As Woll and the Leafs prepare for his return, the club placed Cayden Primeau on waivers on Friday afternoon, indicating that they don't expect Woll to be with the Marlies long. Primeau was subsequently claimed by the Carolina Hurricanes.

Everyone is excited to see him back with the Leafs, but there might not be anyone more enthusiastic than Stolarz, who has started 12 of the Leafs' first 14 games.

Personally, when he returns, I would give him three or four games in a row, depending on the schedule to get him back into a groove and give Stolarz some well-deserved rest.