As the Toronto Maple Leafs are nearly in full offseason mode, with the draft approaching, now is the time to evaluate their goaltending situation. As of right now, the two main guys guarding the crease for the Leafs are Joseph Woll and Anthony Stolarz. Both of them are decent goalies, but they have different resumes. Stolarz is a veteran goalie who has had major ups and downs in his career, including bouncing around through many different teams and winning a Stanley Cup. Meanwhile, Woll has been a part of the Leafs organization his entire career, but has battled between the AHL and NHL.
At the moment, the Leafs have two solid upcoming goalies in Dennis Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov. Both are solid goalies who are in the midst of a chase towards the Calder Cup. Akhtyamov has been the arguable MVP of the playoff run and could push for a spot on the Leafs out of training camp next season. With that being said, who should the Leafs move on from?
Is Anthony Stolarz still the guy?
As it was briefly mentioned above, Stolarz went through a lot of different teams to get to where he is today. The Philadelphia Flyers selected him in the 2012 NHL Draft from the London Knights. After he was done in junior, Stolarz made the jump to play in the AHL. Here, it took Stolarz a couple of seasons to really find his footing. In the 2016–17 season, Stolarz made his NHL debut. He continued to play in the AHL and NHL with the Flyers organization before he jumped between the Edmonton Oilers, Anaheim Ducks, and Florida Panthers. Finally, Stolarz found a starting role with the Leafs organization and broke out as an NHL starter.
Stolarz began the 2024–25 season with the Leafs. It may not have been expected, but Stolarz eventually became one of the most valuable members of the team. His NHL journey finally paid off as a Maple Leaf, as he went on to post his first 20-win season in the NHL. Stolarz finished the regular season with a 21–8–3 record alongside a .926 SV% and a 2.14 GAA. This was easily his best year in the NHL and was hopefully a bright sign of the future.
Unfortunately, Stolarz had a disappointing 2025–26 season. He only appeared in 26 games, making it very tough to make a serious impact. This has raised some questions about whether the time has come to trade him. Stolarz is entering the first year of a new four-year deal he signed back in September of 2025. The deal has a solid cap hit of $3.75M, but has complexities with a modified no-trade clause. Depending on the return, should the Leafs move on from the 32-year-old goalie?
Does Joseph Woll need a fresh start?
Woll has had a very different career path from Stolarz. The Leafs drafted Woll in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft, thinking he could be part of the future goaltending tandem. As much as that did come true, he has also had some serious consistency issues at the NHL level. After finishing up at Boston College, Woll made the jump to the AHL. His first two years with the Toronto Marlies brought a lot of struggles, but the 2021–22 season served as a bit of a breakout year that brought Woll his NHL debut.
Woll only appeared in four games during his first NHL stint and did not get much more the following year. However, the little bit of action he got in 2022–23, he made the most of. Through just seven games, Woll posted a 6–1 record alongside a .932 SV% and a 2.16 GAA. This seemed like a massive step in the right direction for the young goalie. Woll finally stepped into a semi-starter role in 2024–25 when he and Stolarz split starts. Through 42 games, Woll had a 27–14–1 record, which helped the Leafs solidify a playoff berth.
The 2025 playoff run did not go great for Woll. His .886 SV% and 3.56 GAA did not help much, and he ended the season with an elimination from the Florida Panthers. Unfortunately, Woll took a step back this season, posting the worst stats of his NHL career. Like many, Woll had an off year that has left uncertainty in the air. Would he make a better trade candidate than Stolarz with his younger age and potential? His horrendous stat line of a .761 SV% and 4.65 GAA at the 2026 World Championship certainly did not support his trade value.
The young netminders
The two young netminders to keep an eye on are Hildeby and Akhtyamov. Seeing how well they have done at the AHL level this season can not be ignored. Hildeby specifically has been the weaker of the two goalies. Through 23 AHL games this season, he posted a .898 SV% and a 2.71 GAA. Yes, these stats are underwhelming, but the Swedish goalie actually played better at the NHL level. Through a 20-game stint with the Leafs this year, Hildeby had a 5–7–4 record with a .914 SV% and a 2.80 GAA. Considering he was playing behind a weak Leafs team, these stats are very respectable.
On the other hand, Akhtyamov has emerged as a top prospect for the Leafs. They drafted him in the fourth round of the 2020 NHL Draft, and to this point, he has exceeded expectations. After a solid first season in the AHL, Akhtyamov has really started to shine in his own right. Through 37 regular season games, Akhtyamov posted a 21–12–4 record with a .904 SV% and a 2.88 GAA. The 24-year-old goalie was impressive enough in the regular season. However, he turned it up to a completely different level in the Calder Cup Playoffs. To this point, Akhtyamov has an unbelievable .924 SV% and 2.21 GAA during the Marlies run. He is now just two wins away from an AHL championship.
He may have only appeared in three games for the Leafs this season, but Akhtyamov has officially become a potential goalie of the future for the Leafs.
Who to move?
I think in the big picture, the right move is to trade Woll. Woll currently has two years left on his contract and does not have any trade clause until the 2027–28 season. I also think that there would be more teams in the NHL willing to give Woll a chance. The Leafs committed to Stolarz with a four-year deal, and I think the right decision is to run with the guy they committed to. A tandem of Stolarz and Akhtyamov could be a very solid duo. Akhtyamov can hopefully build off of his strong AHL season, while Stolarz looks to get a bounce-back performance underway.
Would a Stolarz and Akhtyamov tandem help get this team back to the playoffs?
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