Maple Leafs Gazette

Tag: season preview

  • Gazette Player of the Week: October 29

    With the Leafs (hopefully) back to their winning ways, it’s time for another Gazette Player of the Week. This week’s choice is hard: many players had a good game or two, but throughout the three game losing streak there not one player played particularly well (possibly excluding goalie Anthony Stolarz). However, I feel good about giving the Gazette Player of the Week to William Nylander this time around.

    Nylander was a monster in last week’s game against Tampa Bay, scoring twice and assisting another in a statement win. Like the rest of the team, he was largely invisible against Columbus, though he did avoid going minus in the +/- chart, a modest achievement in a blowout loss. He failed to record a point the next two games, as well, in a letdown against the Blues and a hard-fought loss to the Bruins, before getting back on the scoresheet against the Jets with a goal and two assists, including an absolutely stunning no look pass to Morgan Rielly for the Leafs fourth goal of the night.

    All in all, since last Monday, Nylander compiled 3 goals and 3 assists for 6 points in 5 games. With the entire team generally struggling, he’s the logical choice to me, but the team needs better individual performances than this to move ahead in the standings.

  • Season Preview Part 3: Goaltending

    With just a few days until the Leafs kick off their 2024-25 season against the Montreal Canadiens, Leafs fans are eagerly awaiting the release of the team’s final roster. Over the past few days, I’ve written up my best guesses about how the offense and defense will look.

    The final Season Preview article covers the Maple Leafs goaltending. I’ll do a brief write up about each goaltender that has been involved in Maple Leafs training camp, as well as trying to project how many games each will appear in.

    Joseph Woll

    Woll is widely regarded as the Maple Leafs starter for 2024-25. One one hand, this represents a huge risk, as he is still relatively unproven. He’s only played in 36 regular season games over three seasons due to injury and inexperience. Woll’s numbers in those games are solid if unspectacular, with a .912 save percentage and a 2.76 goals against average. However, Woll passes the eye test with flying colours, playing a controlled style and possessing strong mental fortitude, signifying that there may be more potential to unlock.

    Woll was also spectacular in the playoffs after taking over from then-starter Ilya Samsonov. Woll posted a .964, 0.86 stat line in three appearances for Toronto. A similar clutch playoff performance this year would basically lock him into a long-term role as the Maple Leafs starting goaltender.

    Prediction: Woll starts 46 games this year, becoming a reliable starter but not a workhorse.

    Anthony Stolarz

    When Ilya Samsonov left to sign with Vegas, the Leafs turned their attention to Stolarz. The 6’6 New Jersey native will hope to build on his stellar work with the Florida Panthers last year, when he turned in a sparkling .925 save percentage and 2.03 goals against average. Like Woll, Stolarz has never played many games in a season. His heaviest workload was 28 games with the Anaheim Ducks back in 2021-22. However, he is far more experienced than Woll overall, with 108 regular season games under his belt, as well as one playoff appearance last year. Stolarz seems to project as a better-than-average backup with the potential to capably fill in for long stretches if needed.

    Prediction: Stolarz gets 28 games this year, matching his career high and giving Woll plenty of rest.

    Matt Murray

    Both goalies that have already been mentioned are wild cards, and so is Murray. The injury-prone netminder missed the entirety of last year with an injury, and is finally healthy and challenging for game time with Toronto. His only Leafs appearances so far came in 2022-23, when he authored a .903/3.01 stat line in only 26 games, but in theory this year’s defense is far better than the one the Leafs used that season. Furthermore, Murray is a known playoff performer, having won back to back Stanley Cups with Pittsburgh at the beginning of his career. Murray is, at the very least, an intriguing third goalie with upside.

    Prediction: Murray plays 8 games filling in for various injuries, and is in good form before the playoffs should the Leafs need him.

    Dennis Hildeby

    The “Hildebeast” returns for a second season in North America after exceeding all expectations with the Marlies last season. At one point last season, there was even rumblings he’d play for the Leafs, and he served as backup on occasion with Samsonov struggling and Woll injured. He’s young enough that another season starting in the AHL will do him good, and barring catastrophic performance or injury from other Toronto goalies, shouldn’t need to be pressed into action this year, either.

    Prediction: Hildeby gets the lion’s share of the net for the Marlies, and pushes for a spot on the Leafs next season.