The Toronto Maple Leafs made a notable trade this offseason, as they dealt goaltender Joseph Woll to the Philadelphia Flyers in a multi-player deal. Woll had been the subject of trade rumors early on during the offseason, so it was not necessarily surprising to see him get moved.
With Woll being traded, the Maple Leafs now have Anthony Stolarz and Dennis Hildeby as their two NHL goalies. They could end up going with this goalie tandem to start the season, but it would also be understandable if they looked to find an upgrade over Stolarz for their starting goalie.
Because of this, the Maple Leafs have been viewed as a potential landing spot for top pending unrestricted free agent (UFA) goalie Sergei Bobrovsky. Recently, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said that Bobrovsky “makes a lot of sense” for the Maple Leafs.
However, in a recent article for Bleacher Report, Erik Beaston predicted that Bobrovsky will end up re-signing with the Florida Panthers instead of joining the Maple Leafs.
“Whether the front office exec is willing to give Bobrovsky the contract length he is looking for could determine whether he heads north or returns to the Florida organization with which he has experienced his greatest success,” Beaston wrote. “With the Panthers general manager, Bill Zito, revealing that no doors are closed on a Bobrovsky return, it feels like a reunion is as possible as not. Prediction: Bobrovsky stays in Florida and finishes his career with the Panthers.”
It would be understandable if Bobrovsky and the Panthers worked out a new contract, as he has spent each of the last seven seasons in Florida. If he does re-sign with Florida, it would leave the Maple Leafs with very limited goalie options if they want to improve their depth.
What UFA Goalies Could the Maple Leafs Target if Bobrovsky Re-Signs With Panthers?
If Bobrovsky ends up working out a deal with the Panthers, the Maple Leafs would not have goalie UFA options to consider once July 1 is here. After Bobrovsky, the best UFA goalie this year is Pittsburgh Penguins netminder Stuart Skinner. Other goalies who could hit the market on July 1 are Connor Ingram, Cam Talbot, Vitek Vanecek, and former Maple Leaf Frederik Andersen.
None of these five pending UFA goalies would provide the Maple Leafs with a definite upgrade between the pipes like Bobrovsky. Due to this, if the Maple Leafs want to add a goaltender through the free agent market, they will be hoping that Bobrovsky ends up testing free agency.
Could the Maple Leafs Run With Stolarz and Hildeby as Their NHL Goalies?
While there is speculation that the Maple Leafs could look to add another goalie after trading Woll, the possibility of them starting the season with Stolarz and Hildeby is there. While Stolarz had a down 2025-26 season, he also had the best save percentage in the NHL in both 2023-24 and 2024-25. As for Hildeby, he has shown a lot of promise at the NHL level early on in his career.
It will be interesting to see what the Maple Leafs end up doing with their goaltending. If Bobrovsky tests free agency, they certainly could make a push to sign him. However, it would also make sense if the Maple Leafs ran with a Stolarz-Hildeby tandem next season.
Maple Leafs Predicted to Miss Out on Star UFA Goalie Target