Numbers for Anthony Stolarz Since Signing Extension Concerning for Maple Leafs

Heading into the new season, there were several question marks about the Toronto Maple Leafs' offense and defense, but the one position that was not originally a concern was in between the pipes.

Goaltenders Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll were two pillars of success in 2024-25, and the expectation remained high going into 2025-26. Unfortunately Woll was sidelined indefinitely due to a personal family issue before the season began, which pushed Stolarz harder than the team might have liked.

Nevertheless, the trust level in Stolarz remained sky-high, so much so that they extended him to a 4-year deal before the season began. With the contract not having even kicked in yet, alarm bells are already starting to sound off on the deal after a porous start.

Last night's effort would have been an anomaly for Stolarz last year. He had allowed 4 goals on 19 shots and was pulled for the first time for a non-injury related reason. He has now slumped to a 6-5-1 record with a .889 SV% and has allowed 38 goals in 12 games, a feat that took him 19 games to achieve last year.

Moreover, the worrying signs have returned after he was given a full mental day of rest when he was made a healthy scratch in their rematch with Buffalo a few weeks ago. Although he pulled out 4 victories in as many games after the fact, he just doesn't look as sharp.

When asked about his struggles, Stolarz kept it brief as he hopes to move forward and figure things out on the fly, but insists fatigue isn't an issue.

One of the biggest drawbacks in signing Stolarz was his lack of experience as he had only started in 83 games prior to 2024-25. He's not used to a full workload and it's starting to show.

His play has fallen off to a point where his head coach is having to answer for his performances. While Craig Berube is confident in his ability to turn things around, he wants to see his inconsistencies come to a halt.

At the very least, help is on the way, as Joseph Woll was sent down to the minors on a conditioning stint on Friday. His impending return is going to be a massive boost for the Leafs, who can go back to alternating starts until they get closer to the playoffs.

For now, the Leafs will continue to lean on Stolarz, and his next start could be as soon as tonight's game against the Carolina Hurricanes, after Berube was non-committal on his starting netminder after last night's loss.