The 2026-27 season is almost here for the Toronto Maple Leafs, as they play their opening night on Sep. 29 against the Montreal Canadiens. The Maple Leafs are entering this season with the goal of bouncing back from their ugly 2025-26 season, and this is especially so when noting that they added many new players to their roster this offseason.
However, with the new season almost here, the Maple Leafs are now being predicted to move on from one of their veteran goalies before it is over.
In a recent article for Editor In Leaf, Stephen Nixon predicted that Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz will be traded by the Original Six club by the end of the 2026-27 season.
“The Leafs could save roughly $3M by trading Stolarz, while potentially upgrading the position,” Nixon wrote. “It’s quite possible though that the 32-year-old netminder stays in Toronto this year because he reverts back to the steady back-up goalie that he is, but it feels like he’s the odd-man out. Although the Leafs traded Joseph Woll this offseason, Stolarz seems likely to be gone by the end of the year too.”
The idea of the Maple Leafs moving on from Stolarz is an intriguing one, but it is also fair to wonder about. With Toronto signing Sergei Bobrovsky this offseason, Stolarz could be worth dangling this season to help improve their roster elsewhere.
NHL Teams Looking for Goalie Help Could Be Interested in Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz
If the Maple Leafs make Stolarz available for trade this season, it is likely that he would generate some interest from teams looking for goalie help. The 32-year-old goaltender has shown that he can be a very good 1B goalie when playing at his best, so that could lead to teams calling.
Stolarz is coming off a down year with the Maple Leafs, though, as he posted a 10-10-3 record, a 3.28 goals-against average, and an .893 save percentage in 26 games. However, this was after he had the best save percentage in the NHL in both 2023-24 with the Florida Panthers (.925) and 2024-25 with the Maple Leafs (.926). This kind of resume could make teams interested in him as a bounce-back candidate.
Why Keeping Stolarz Could Also Make Sense for the Maple Leafs
While there is an argument to be had about the Maple Leafs trading Stolarz this season, it would also make sense if they kept him around this campaign. Toronto’s goal is to get into the playoffs this year, so it would be understandable if they kept Stolarz even after signing Bobrovsky. This is especially so when noting that they had great success when they played together with the Panthers.
Furthermore, while the Maple Leafs have promising prospect goalie Artur Akhtyamov, Stolarz is a proven NHL goalie who has already had some very good seasons. Due to this, it would make sense if Toronto elects to keep Stolarz around for the season. This is especially so if he regains his top form.
Toronto Maple Leafs Predicted to Trade 6-Foot-6 Goalie in Intriguing Move