The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently facing a critical situation regarding their goaltending, as their initial problems have intensified. Goaltender Joseph Woll has been placed on injured reserve, retroactive to December 4, due to a lower-body injury, as announced by the team on Saturday. This has forced the Maple Leafs to call up Artur Akhtyamov from the AHL's Toronto Marlies to fill the gap left by Woll.
Woll’s injury occurred during a game against the Carolina Hurricanes, which took place on Thursday. After two periods of play, he was replaced by Dennis Hildeby, with the team confirming that Woll would not return to the game due to the injury sustained. The team’s head coach, Craig Berube, addressed the media after Saturday's morning skate and expressed hope that Woll's absence would only last about a week. He stated, “He’ll be a week, hopefully. That’s right now. That’s where he is at. Better than expected? No, not better. Better would be he’s ready to go tonight. But that’s not the case. We’re not expecting it to be too long.”
Woll has had a challenging season, having been away from the Maple Leafs for personal family reasons during training camp. He returned to the team on November 15 and subsequently started in eight of the team’s nine games. During this stretch, he demonstrated commendable performance, achieving a record of 4 wins, 3 losses, and 1 overtime loss, along with a .923 save percentage and a 2.44 goals-against average, providing crucial stability for a wobbling team.
Adding to the Maple Leafs' goaltending woes, their other primary netminder, Anthony Stolarz, is also sidelined with an upper-body injury. Stolarz has not participated in skating activities since November 11, and currently, there is no timeline established for his return, exacerbating the team’s goalie crisis.
In the meantime, Hildeby has appeared in six games this season prior to Thursday's matchup, boasting a .914 save percentage and securing one win. As the Maple Leafs navigate this challenging period, the reliance on a less experienced goalie, like Hildeby, raises concerns about the team's performance and stability going forward in the season.
