Maple Leafs Goalie Snubbed by Team USA in Favour of Struggling Young Goalie

While the orientation camp rosters aren't the be-all-end-all for who is going to make the cut for the 2026 Olympic Games, it's still a very good barometer into who the decision makers feel are vital cogs to their machine.

As we saw with Team Canada's roster, there were a lot of great players left off, and the same can be said about the Americans as well. Debates have raged on about Lane Hutson's snub. However, one that isn't getting talked about enough is Anthony Stolarz.

Team USA, who have an embarrassment of riches in between the pipes, went with Connor Hellebuyck, Jake Oettinger, Jeremy Swayman, and Joey Daccord. While the first three are near locks to make the team, the choice to add Daccord into the mix over Stolarz is an interesting one.

The 29-year-old posted a 27-23-5 record with a .906 SV% and a 2.73 GAA with Seattle this past season, compared to Stolarz, who went 21-8-3, while leading the league in save percentage for the second straight season.

While the sample size was smaller than Daccord's due to injuries, Stolarz also posted a minuscule 2.14 GAA, and didn't shy away from the bright lights during the playoffs. Additionally, for his career, the New Jersey native has quietly put up a .917 SV% and a 2.55 GAA, which should have at least earned him a spot on the orientation camp roster.

Even if you shrunk his sample size to his last 4 seasons, Stolarz has posted a 54-29-8 record with a .918 SV% and a 2.47 GAA with 9 shutouts. Comparatively, over the same stretch of time, Daccord is 48-46-17 with a .907 SV% and a 2.71 GAA.

At the very least, Stolarz will have a chance to shake off the snub and reintroduce himself to the decision makers for Team USA with a strong start to the first half of the season. Considering his recent track record, Stolarz should be in line to post scintillating numbers as an emerging top option in between the pipes for Toronto.