The Toronto Maple Leafs will begin the 2024-25 campaign without the team’s presumptive No. 1 netminder after Joseph Woll was ruled out for the regular-season opener because of lower-body tightness. It has been a troubling trend for Woll, as various injuries have sidetracked him during his professional career.
He signed a three-year, $10.98 million contract extension with the Maple Leafs in the summer. It’s a deal that could be a significant bargain, but he’s not off to an encouraging start because of continued health concerns.
Woll Has Managed to Overcome Early Concerns Before
During his time with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League (AHL), Woll suffered a shoulder injury in March 2022 that sidelined him for eight months. He had a setback in his recovery and sustained an ankle injury that made him unavailable for training camp ahead of the 2022-23 season (from ‘After Joseph Woll’s injury, what comes next for the Maple Leafs in goal?,’ The Athletic, Dec. 7, 2023).
However, he bounced back in 2023-24. He appeared to be well on his way toward securing the top goalie spot on the Maple Leafs depth chart before a high-ankle sprain knocked him out of the lineup for 31 games from Dec. 9 through Feb. 19. Woll rejoined the roster in late February following a brief conditioning assignment in the AHL, winning four of his 10 NHL outings down the stretch. He delivered mixed results during that span, resulting in Ilya Samsonov being the goaltender of choice going into the first round of the 2024 Stanley Cup Playoffs.
Again, Woll rebounded, starting Games 5 and 6 versus the Boston Bruins while leading the Leafs to victories on both occasions. Unfortunately, disaster struck prior to Game 7 when he was ruled out for the contest because of a sprained back. Samsonov performed admirably following his early-series struggles, but not having a red-hot Woll between the pipes for the winner-take-all match was a major disappointment.
Related: Joseph Woll Poised to Seize Maple Leafs’ Starting Goalie Job
You will have to forgive Maple Leafs fans for feeling a familiar sense of dread on Wednesday (Oct. 9) after hearing that Woll would not be available to play versus the Canadiens because of another injury issue. Even though the stakes aren’t nearly as high as Game 7 of a playoff matchup, it still comes with a deflating sense of déjà vu.
Leafs Tried to Be Cautious With Woll
Woll didn’t see much action during the preseason, logging just 91:38 of ice time in two appearances. He played half of the club’s exhibition opener against the Ottawa Senators on Sept. 22, and he didn’t return to the crease until the preseason finale versus the Detroit Red Wings on Oct. 5. That was probably done by design to limit his workload.
Leafs general manager Brad Treliving spoke about working out a plan for Woll during the offseason to avoid and address the netminder’s injury issues. “As far as our goaltending, I’ve got faith in [Woll]. Now, like everybody else, there are questions. The biggest question with [Woll] is he’s gotten injured a lot. We have to dig into that. Sometimes that happens, sometimes bad luck happens. Is there a training issue that we have to deal with? Do we need to change something in his off-ice routine? All those things are what we have to dig into.”
Now that another injury has occurred, how the team reacts will be crucial. The Maple Leafs might be taking an overly cautious approach by holding him out for the start of the season. However, Woll’s placement on injured reserve (IR) isn’t an encouraging sign. It was initially reported that the 26-year-old netminder had not been ruled out of Thursday’s (Oct. 10) matchup against the New Jersey Devils, but his placement on IR will sideline him for at least the first three games.
Goaltending Depth Will Be Put to the Test
Fortunately, the organization has plenty of replacement options. They probably aren’t as battle-tested as some would like, but the offseason signing of Anthony Stolarz should yield immediate positive results. He was impressive during the preseason and was excellent in 2023-24 as the backup keeper with the Florida Panthers. He will get the nod against the Canadiens, while Dennis Hildeby was recalled from the AHL on an emergency basis to serve as the backup.
The Leafs also have veteran Matt Murray back in the fold and available to play after missing most of last season due to bilateral hip surgery. He will get to continue to work his way back with the Marlies for the time being. Hildeby was probably called up instead as a reward for his superb play during the exhibition schedule, and he could make his NHL debut.
Leafs Need Woll to Stay Healthy
Still, the importance of getting and keeping Woll healthy should be paramount. He has flashed tremendous upside in the past but hasn’t shaken the injury woes despite displaying his resiliency. His trips to the infirmary have come at inopportune times and must be addressed to ensure he can fulfill his potential.
It will be a difficult and taxing situation if everyone is constantly holding their breath every time he is slow to get up after making a save or when he receives some contact in the blue paint. Injuries can be unavoidable, but risks can be reduced, and treatments can be issued. It’s up to Woll, his teammates, and members of the Leafs’ staff to do all they can to change his reputation and keep him in the lineup.
