Joseph Woll Close To Returning? Huge Development Coming From Leafs' Practice on Friday

His teammates were thrilled when Joseph Woll re-joined them in the dressing room a few weeks ago. At the time of his return, GM Brad Treliving was quick to point out that his return to game action would likely begin with a conditioning stint in the AHL with the Toronto Marlies.

After an off-day on Thursday, the Leafs returned to practice on Friday morning where reporters were greeted with a very big surprise.

Typically, Cayden Primeau, Anthony Stolarz and Woll took the ice together with the main group. On Friday however, it was only Stolarz and Woll who joined the Leafs' regulars, while Primeau skated by himself on a separate rink.

The sudden change has left many to believe the former third-round pick may be closer to returning to the Leafs' lineup than expected.

According to Frank Seravalli, on Amazon Prime's 'Coast to Coast', Woll and the Leafs staff are going to sit down and discuss his next steps. While Seravalli suggested it is very likely he will head to the Marlies for a conditioning stint, the developments from Friday's practice would indicate he would rather jump straight back into NHL games.

Always willing to jump back into action, Woll will have to do some serious convincing to avoid a conditioning stint. Having not played a game since May, it's in his best interest to get at least one game under his belt to shake off some of the rust before he gives Stolarz a well deserved break.