Goalie situation

[crump]

Apparently Murray looks good in recovery from hip surgery. Probably gets claimed on waivers. A few teams looking for NHL goalie depth, someone will take a chance on him.

 

[Dog]

I would expect Hildeby get few NHL games. Murray I be really shocked if gets NHL games. It be good comeback story!

 

[LeafSteel]

Apparently Murray looks good in recovery from hip surgery. Probably gets claimed on waivers. A few teams looking for NHL goalie depth, someone will take a chance on him.

Call me crazy but a healthy Murray on a league minimum contract would have value in the league and can be traded.

To lose him for nothing on waivers would make no sense

If he’s healthy, he’s proven he can be a starter. That has value around the league.

 

[TMLBlueandWhite]

Am I the only one concerned with the goalie situation.

Every year in the playoffs the goalies let the team down one way or another. At the most important time of the season last year Samsonov shit the bed and Woll got injured. Nobody could possibly have seen that one coming I guess.

Every year the team's response is to get even more questionable with the most important position in the sport.

Murray, Stolarz, and Woll. A hope, a wish, and a prayer. It's like counting on Larry, Curly, and Moe to build a house without getting hurt and botching the job in the process.

You just know someone will be riding in an ambulance and there's gonna be a huge mess to clean up.

This team doesn't have cup contending goaltending. It doesn't matter which one is starter, backup, or relief either. No matter how you mix these three together it doesn't equal a Bobrovsky or Vasilevski.

You could put all three in net at the same time and on the first shot two of them would get hurt and the other would let it in.

 

[Commander Clueless]

Stolarz was my target. I was very happy when they signed him.

I think he's very good and has more to give.

That said, I have been known to be clueless.

 

[Strangle]

I really believe Woll has been our biggest missing piece

This guy is a certified stud

Only question is if he can stay healthy (well, obviously there are many other questions, but you know what I’m saying)

Keefe not starting Woll in net for game 1 last year was reason # 614 for why he needed to go

 

[57 Years No Cup]

What do we do if the goalie situation is not as cut and dry as Woll + Stolarz and Matt Murray as #3? Trade one of them and hope we haven't accidentally traded away the best one?

We lose in the playoffs. Because we spend way too much money on forwards. This has been known for 8 years

 

[Maple Leaf]

We lose in the playoffs. Because we spend way too much money on forwards. This has been known for 8 years

would be better if they had a real full of no-names like vegas

 

[Dayjobdave]

The question being, if Murray is waived, is he claimed?

I think Kyle claims him and we see him in round 1 of the playoffs.

Seriously a healthy Murray is very good.

 

[Racer88]

We have to try and keep all of them. Woll has shown he will be injured a lot same as Murray. I don’t know much about Stolarz but hopefully he can remain healthy

 

[Racer88]

Call me crazy but a healthy Murray on a league minimum contract would have value in the league and can be traded.

To lose him for nothing on waivers would make no sense

If he’s healthy, he’s proven he can be a starter. That has value around the league.

Healthy Murray…..does such a thing exist

 

[trellaine201]

Vancouver is looking. I bet they would jump on him if they haven’t figured their situation out.

 

[Evilhomer]

I really believe Woll has been our biggest missing piece

This guy is a certified stud

Only question is if he can stay healthy (well, obviously there are many other questions, but you know what I’m saying)

Keefe not starting Woll in net for game 1 last year was reason # 614 for why he needed to go

Injuries won't be an issue for Woll. He will play at least 50 games this season.

 

[LeafEgo]

We've got a potential breakout prospect, a potential breakout late bloomer, and a questionable vet - full spectrum of experience and various performance/availability concerns. Quite the 'throw it at the wall' and 'strength by numbers' approach.

Would have been nice if Saros broke free but given the tight budget and complete disregard for goaltending some five years it's rather commendable what we have going into next season - I'm optimistic.

I suspect they'll keep all three going until it's very clear they only need two of them.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

 

[LeafalCrusader]

It seems to be a annual preseason tradition where we freak out about losing or possibly losing our number 3 goalie to waivers lol. I'll never forget the angst when we lost Aaron Dell.

 

[Ianturnedbull]

It seems to be a annual preseason tradition where we freak out about losing or possibly losing our number 3 goalie to waivers lol. I'll never forget the angst when we lost Aaron Dell.

There was a bad streak where we lost 3 goalies through waivers -> The Sparks/Dubas Era

 

[rumman]

I think the goaltending is in the exact same situation as the D, if they can remain healthy they should be good to great, if not I see the potential for big problems especially if the same fate hits the aforementioned D…….

 

[rumman]

Injuries won't be an issue for Woll. He will play at least 50 games this season.

Ever the optimist………

 

[Evilhomer]

Ever the optimist………

It's just simple odds. The probability of repeating random one-off injuries is low.

 

[Racer88]

It's just simple odds. The probability of repeating random one-off injuries is low.

How have the odds worked out for us in playoffs rounds the last 8 years of doing the same core over and over

 

[Dayjobdave]

It seems to be an annual preseason tradition where we freak out about losing or possibly losing our number 3 goalie to waivers lol. I'll never forget the angst when we lost Aaron Dell.

It was a dark dark day

 

[mustardtiger67]

Huh? Do people actually watch the games? What are we talking about here?

We’ve had 8 years of Matthew/Marner/Nylander/Rielly playoffs.

In those 8 years, we’ve seen 4 goalies get in 7 games or more. Freddie, Soupy, Samsonov, and Woll. None of them were awful, they were all competent. But none actually stole us any games the way Cujo did. No one except Joseph
Woll. 3-2, 1.78 GAA, .933 SV% Joseph Woll. Easily apparent over his appearances to ANYONE who watched every single Leafs playoff game, that Joseph Woll has been the best playoff goalie this core has seen and it’s not close.

And so now we finally get to a point where this guy gets to start the year and see what you really have, and you want to question it before camp even opens?

Yes Stolarz is a great high potential backup. Yes Would hate to lose Murray after putting the time in knowing there a decent chance he could recoup value elsewhere. But it’s Woll’s net. Everything else is borderline meaningless.

Unless he gets massively injured, he’s getting 55+ plus games. The rest will sort itself out. It’s his turn. Stop talking like there are other possibilities that make more sense. There’s not. This is the guy. If he’s healthy and not starting game 1 of the playoff something is horribly, horribly wrong.

 

[Menzinger]

Huh? Do people actually watch the games? What are we talking about here?

We’ve had 8 years of Matthew/Marner/Nylander/Rielly playoffs.

In those 8 years, we’ve seen 4 goalies get in 7 games or more. Freddie, Soupy, Samsonov, and Woll. None of them were awful, they were all competent. But none actually stole us any games the way Cujo did. No one except Joseph
Woll. 3-2, 1.78 GAA, .933 SV% Joseph Woll. Easily apparent over his appearances to ANYONE who watched every single Leafs playoff game, that Joseph Woll has been the best playoff goalie this core has seen and it’s not close.

And so now we finally get to a point where this guy gets to start the year and see what you really have, and you want to question it before camp even opens?

Yes Stolarz is a great high potential backup. Yes Would hate to lose Murray after putting the time in knowing there a decent chance he could recoup value elsewhere. But it’s Woll’s net. Everything else is borderline meaningless.

Unless he gets massively injured, he’s getting 55+ plus games. The rest will sort itself out. It’s his turn. Stop talking like there are other possibilities that make more sense. There’s not. This is the guy. If he’s healthy and not starting game 1 of the playoff something is horribly, horribly wrong.

Woll is definitely the guy with the highest potential. But he has a career high so far of 34 games played..it would probably be surprising if he hits 50+ games this year

 

[seanlinden]

Huh? Do people actually watch the games? What are we talking about here?

We’ve had 8 years of Matthew/Marner/Nylander/Rielly playoffs.

In those 8 years, we’ve seen 4 goalies get in 7 games or more. Freddie, Soupy, Samsonov, and Woll. None of them were awful, they were all competent. But none actually stole us any games the way Cujo did. No one except Joseph
Woll. 3-2, 1.78 GAA, .933 SV% Joseph Woll. Easily apparent over his appearances to ANYONE who watched every single Leafs playoff game, that Joseph Woll has been the best playoff goalie this core has seen and it’s not close.

And so now we finally get to a point where this guy gets to start the year and see what you really have, and you want to question it before camp even opens?

Yes Stolarz is a great high potential backup. Yes Would hate to lose Murray after putting the time in knowing there a decent chance he could recoup value elsewhere. But it’s Woll’s net. Everything else is borderline meaningless.

Unless he gets massively injured, he’s getting 55+ plus games. The rest will sort itself out. It’s his turn. Stop talking like there are other possibilities that make more sense. There’s not. This is the guy. If he’s healthy and not starting game 1 of the playoff something is horribly, horribly wrong.

It is certainly fair/reasonable to question Toronto's goaltending... Toronto has 1 goalie making more than $900k this year, and it's a career backup making $2.5m. They have 3 goalies, and are spending a total of less than $4.2m on the position.

Only Washingon & Calgary are spending less on the position than Toronto.

To think that Joseph Woll is going to be given the full reigns to start 55+ games, the single-minded focus to put him in night after night, even if he has some mid-season struggles or whatever, is pretty farfetched.

The Leafs have games to win. They're going to put the guy in who they feel gives them the best chance to win on any given night.... not just Joseph Woll because "he's got the potential". Joseph Woll is probably your defacto opening night starter, but Anthony Stolarz is going to have every opportunity to win the starting job from him, just like Woll had the opportunity with Samsonov last year.

Overall, the Leafs goaltending is probably going to be a little bit of "throw stuff at the wall and see what sticks"; especially given Woll's injury history.

For me, the real interesting question is Matt Murray. While I think they're prepared to let Dennis Hildeby play NHL games this year if needbe, I get the sense that they really don't want to lose Matt Murray as a guy that can come up in the event of injury. However, at the same time, there is the challenge of the 23 man roster limit.

If we assume Pacioretty signing.... Barring any LTIR to start the season, if just one of Cowan/Minten get to start with the team, the Leafs would be looking at exposing Connor Timmins, along with 2 of Reaves/Dewar/Robertson/McMann/Holmberg on waivers in order to avoid exposing Murray. That, or giving Matthew Knies the Nick Robertson treatment and starting him in the AHL.

If they want to see what Cowan and Minten can do with the 9-game shot, you're now looking at dropping 3 of those forwards.

Part of me wonders, if the arrangement with Pacioretty might be to play preseason games, maybe do an Alex Nylander to start the year, and then bring him up on an NHL deal when the roster space opens due to injury.

I feel like they're going to have somebody on the team dedicated to studying what the rest of the league is doing day-by-day to try and predict the most optimal day to try and sneak Murray through waivers.