The Toronto Maple Leafs own one of the best goaltending situations in the league. Their 1A, Anthony Stolarz, is on a bargain deal of $2.5M this year. The 1B, Joseph Woll, is locked up for three more seasons at just $3.67M.
They also have two prospects in the AHL who could be future starters. The more highly-touted prospect is Dennis Hildeby, and the Leafs just signed him to a three-year contract for under $1M.
Goaltending in the NHL is a luxury. Only so many teams have elite starters, and the rest are kind of guessing. When it comes to the Leafs, they may be able to use their depth to take advantage of one of these “others” through a trade.
Let’s discuss the situation.
Trade Woll?
The Leafs have three options when it comes to their NHL guys. They could trade Stolarz or Woll, or they could stand pat. Honestly, all of them make sense in one way or another. It comes down to who Brad Treliving trusts, not just in the NHL but also in the AHL.
Woll would definitely land you the biggest package. He’s a proven 1B at worst on a steal of a contract for the next three years. His game rises in the playoffs, and for a relatively inexperienced guy, he does not feel pressure.
The Leafs could easily get a top-six forward for Woll, plugging the largest hole on the team. They’d want someone proven and with term, but there are so many teams looking for goaltending, they would have no problem finding someone.
The problem with trading Woll is that it leaves you with a very murky situation next year. Stolarz is in the last year of his deal, and he’ll be getting a raise next season. If the Leafs don’t plan on paying him, their only two netminders signed for next year would be Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov. That’s not good enough.
So, the only way the Leafs should trade Woll is if Stolarz is re-signed. The team and Stolarz have reportedly begun talks regarding an extension, but I’d be surprised if Stolarz signed any sort of contract before July 1. He’s earned a hefty raise and probably wants to see just how much he can get.
What about Stolarz?
The more likely (and logical) trade option is Stolarz. He’s proven to be elite when he’s on the ice, but he hasn’t shown he can take on a full-time starter’s workload. The expiring contract means he won’t fetch as much in a trade, but he’d still bring in a nice middle-six forward, no doubt.
A team with a prospect in the wings but no real starter this season would make the most sense. If the San Jose Sharks want to take a step and don’t trust Yaroslav Askarov, they could make a deal. The same goes for the Columbus Blue Jackets.
It might be a good idea to sell high on Stolarz. Chances are, he won’t be as productive as he was last year, and eventually it will come time to hand the reins to Woll. Yes, Stolarz was magnificent last year, but he also got hurt in the playoffs and didn’t look too great in the postseason when he played.
Stolarz is a great goalie, but if anyone’s getting traded, it’s probably him. Woll is presumably the goalie of the future, and letting Stolarz walk for nothing could be a mistake.
Trust in Hildeby
The chances that either NHLer gets traded are slim. But, if it does happen, it’s because the Leafs clearly trust Dennis Hildeby to be a capable backup right away. The 6’7 Swede didn’t look good at all last year in his six NHL appearances, but his future is bright.
That’s why the Leafs locked him up for three years. They trust he’ll be an NHLer during his three-year deal; it just depends on how quickly he comes up.
There’s a world where Stolarz and Woll start the season in Toronto while Hildeby kills it in the AHL and forces their hand. If he’s good enough and they see him as an NHL option early, they could definitely move Stolarz for whatever they think they need. That’s probably the most likely trade scenario, rather than a move being made before the year starts.
Most teams have one (if that) capable NHL starter. If the Leafs think they have three, they absolutely need to trade one.
The goal of the three-year deal is not to call up Hildeby this year, but have him for under $1M playing NHL games for the two years after. But, and it’s a big but, if he is too good for the AHL before the NHL trade deadline, the Leafs should definitely trade Stolarz or Woll and make room for him.
