The Toronto Maple Leafs have begun contract extension talks with impending UFA goaltender Anthony Stolarz. According to a report published by David Pagnotta of the Fourth Period on September 2, the Leafs have initiated negotiations with Stolarz after a summer of silence.
The 31-year-old netminder will be entering the second year of a two-year contract signed last summer. Stolarz comes with a $2.5 million cap hit this season. But after running with the starting role last season, there’s reason to believe Stolarz is in line for a raise.
A strong season could drive Stolarz’s price up. So, it makes sense for the Maple Leafs to lock him up before the price spikes further.
Signing Stolarz should be atop GM Brad Treliving’s priority list heading into training camp. While Joseph Woll is locked up for three more seasons, the Leafs will need security moving forward. Woll’s injury history means Toronto can’t bank on riding Woll for an indefinite period.
Stolarz provides that security, allowing the club to focus on building other areas. It’s also worth pointing out that the grueling schedule facing the Maple Leafs this season will demand at least two solid netminders who can share the load.
Why Extending Stolarz Is Right Move for Maple Leafs
The Maple Leafs have historically struggled with finding reliable goaltenders. Not since the days of Curtis Joseph and Ed Belfour has Toronto had a goalie it can rely on.
The club famously traded Tuukka Rask, while bringing in forgettable goalies like Andrew Raycroft, Vesa Toskala, Ilya Samsonov, and Jack Campbell.
It’s worth pointing out that the last reliable goalie Toronto had was Frederik Andersen. However, the Maple Leafs couldn’t make any playoff headway with Andersen.
With Stolarz last season, the Leafs finally seemed to have a reliable starting goaltender. He showed what he could do during the regular season and the playoffs. Unfortunately, his injury in the first game against the Florida Panthers in the second round knocked him out of the postseason.
That’s why extending Stolarz is the right move for the Maple Leafs at this time. The club needs a solid goalie it can fall back on throughout the season.
While the plan would be to share the load with Woll, it’s clear Stolarz is the guy. Unless he regresses, there’s no reason to believe that Stolarz isn’t the right choice for the Maple Leafs at the moment.
Toronto Inked Hildeby to Solidify Goalie Depth Chart
The Maple Leafs announced the signing of Dennis Hildeby to a three-year contract on Tuesday. The signing was a welcome move as Hildeby was Toronto’s only remaining RFA. The deal solidified the Leafs’ goalie depth chart. The team now has three NHL-caliber goalies on the roster.
Beyond Hildeby, there are no other truly NHL-ready goalies. The prospects in the pipeline are seemingly some time away from joining the big club.
With Hildeby’s new contract out of the way, the onus is now on Treliving to lock up Stolarz. Signing Stolarz would give the Toronto Maple Leafs a depth chart of Stolarz, Woll, and Hildeby for the foreseeable future.
Even if that’s not the sexiest goalie depth chart, it looks solid enough to help the Leafs transition this season and beyond.
Maple Leafs Initiate Talks with Impending UFA: Report