The external goal convening options from Maple Leafs in the light of the absence of Woll – the hockey writers Toronto Maple Leafs Latest News, Analysis and more

Forget who fills the top six or what the future of Nick Robertson has, the Toronto Maple Leafs suddenly has a new problem. The club announced on Tuesday that goalkeeper Joseph Woll will step out of the team for an indefinite period of time to provide a personal business.

We are not here to speculate about what Woll keeps away – private family cases must stay that way. Nevertheless, it creates a fairly large training camp story that will test the goal of depth of the organization. Anthony Stolarz will be the clear number one as long as Woll is gone, but it is still to be seen how much of a workload can be hoisted on a net than whose 34 games marked a career-high last season. In addition, Dennis Hildreby and Artur Akhtyamov represent less than ideal secondary options for a club that leaves Matt Murray leaves for the Seattle Kraken In the low season.

With little in the way of internal options to fill the fold in the absence of Woll, the Maple Leafs can be forced to look outside the organization for support for goalsting if they think this is not a short -term. With $ 1.9 million in CAP space, plus potentially $ 3.67 million owed to Woll, money is no problem. If the Front Office decides that outside help is necessary, the question will be who could be.

James Reimer

Could it be ‘Reim Time’ in Toronto again? James Reimer, the popular former Maple Leafs-Nerminder, remains without an NHL team after he was not again signed by the Buffalo Sabres after last season. It has been nine years ago and no less than seven NHL stops since he was last suitable for the organization, but fans have not forgotten his role in backstopping the Club 2012-13 to a surprising playoff appearance while he smiles every step along the way (“Reimer smiles and on a role again as the Maple Leafs top” The Globe & Mail, November 16, 2015).

However, that was a long time ago. Reimer is now 37 years old and comes from one up and down 2024-25 season between the Anaheim Ducks and Sabres, where a 10-10-2 record is placed with a 3.04 goals against average (GAA) and a .896 save percentage (SV%) over 24 games. That said, he is not so far removed from placing a 19-17-10 record with a 2.90 GAA and a .911 SV% over 48 games in the 2021-22 season. Maybe he still has a game left.

If the Maple Leafs are interested in goalies with a free agent with a history with the franchise, apart from Reimer, Ilya Samsonov also remains on the market. However, his term of office at the club did not end particularly well, so they may not want to bring him back so quickly.

Carter heart

One of the five defendants are acquitted In the controversial matter of sexual violence in which members of the Canadian World Juniors team 2018 are involved, Carter Hart now wants to resume his hockey career at a time when the Maple Leafs may need help. In a situation as sensitive as this, however, it is not that simple.

Firstly, the Front Office of the Maple Leafs should be thorough to determine whether the character of the heart fits within the fabric of the franchise (while also anticipating potential recoil). In addition, the former Philadelphia Flyer remains not eligible to play In the NHL until December 1, at which point hopefully Woll has returned. Toronto is already linked to another acquitted suspect Dillon Dube, so they can be open to bring members of the Kwintet into the fold. Hart, however, still does not seem like a logical fit.

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Distance candidates

Depending on how long Woll stays away, panic could eventually be able to go in the Leafs Nation. And yet it would be beneficial for the Front Office to show patience-even in the case of the long absence of their most used goalkeeper of 2024-25. As the training camp continues, clubs will cut their grilles and they will probably only wear two goalkeepers at the start of the regular season.

For the Maple Leafs, it gives the potential for a whole series of noises to the possibility. Depending on how goal convening fights play in the competition, Toronto could get the chance to add Anaheim’s Ville Husso, the Buffalo Sabres, Alexandar Georgiev, the Kaapo Kahkons of Montreal Canadiens, to call only three goalkeepers, probably their club lobsters. The catch is of course that these cutbacks could amount to the last days of the preseason and make things terribly tight for the home opener of 8 October.

“Indefinitely” sounds scary and will usually inspire people to anticipate the worst. Yet it is quite possible that Woll will return to the team sooner and the Maple Leafs will have their tandem ready for the opening evening. Even if that turns out to be the case, however, it would not necessarily be a bad thing for Toronto to have some extra security in the network outside Hildreby and Akhtyamov. After all, the club used four goalkeepers and both Stolarz and Woll last season have maintained their share of injuries About their career.