MONTREAL — Here we go again.
The Toronto Maple Leafs‘ new season begins the way the previous one ended: with a surprise announcement that planned starting goaltender Joseph Woll cannot play due to a lower-body ailment.
Anthony Stolarz will start in net for Toronto in Wednesday’s season opener at Bell Centre against the Montreal Canadiens, and prospect Dennis Hildeby has joined the team’s two-game road trip on an emergency basis.
“Woll experienced some lower-body tightness yesterday. It’s precautionary. So, we’re going to keep him out tonight,” head coach Craig Berube said.
Woll appeared to be in some discomfort after stretching for a save in Thursday’s practice but has been a full participant in practices and played the full 60 minutes in Saturday’s pre-season finale against the Detroit Red Wings, stopping 18 or 20 shots in a win.
He assured that he was feeling good after the game and was on target to be Toronto’s choice for opening night.
Now, the 26-year-old is questionable to play Thursday in New Jersey.
Woll’s unavailability opens the door for off-season acquisition Stolarz, the Stanley Cup winner who shut out the Red Wings on the road in his final pre-season appearance.
“I thought he had a solid game in Detroit,” Berube said. “He’s big guy. Obviously takes up a lot of net. Looks very confident to me in net right now.”
Stolarz, 30, signed a two-year, $5-million contract with Toronto knowing he’d be partnered with a goaltender who has never appeared in more than 25 games in a single season.
That said, Stolarz has been a career backup whose busiest season topped out at 28 appearances.
At six-foot-six and 243 pounds, Stolarz has made his presence felt during training camp.
“It was intimidating the first four or five days. I’m like, ‘Am I ever gonna score a goal against this guy in practice all year?'” Leafs forward Max Pacioretty said, with a smile. “Really good goalie. The first couple days, I don’t think I scored a single goal on him.
“It was starting to get me pretty upset. And he’s massive in there. He’s really big. Takes up a lot of net. And I know it’s easy to say he’s big, but some big goalies have holes down by their feet or whatnot. He is just a very big presence in the net, and it’s hard to see any net when he’s in there.”
If Woll is unable to start Thursday, the 23-year-old Hildeby could make his NHL debut.
The towering six-foot-seven prospect dubbed “Hildebeast” posted a 21-11-7 record and a .913 save percentage with the AHL Marlies last season.
“He had a good camp, right? And played a game in here (in Montreal) for us in pre-season. Played a real good, strong game,” Berube said. “He’s young. I didn’t know him before I got here, but he looks very comfortable in net. Calm and cool. Obviously, size. He’s a big goalie and takes up a lot of net.”
Woll’s health was a major story in Toronto’s final game last spring, as Ilya Samsonov was the surprise starter of Game 7.
He and the Leafs’ medical and training staff worked intently on his training over the summer in effort to make him more durable.
Woll suffered multiple injuries in 2023-24 but was solid when available, going 12-11-1 with a .907 save percentage, and looked stellar in the postseason.
He signed a three-year, $11-million extension in the off-season that carries through 2027-28.