Former NHL goalie predicting a breakout season from Leafs prospect Joseph Woll
The Toronto Maple Leafs have a ton of question marks in goal this season. They also have a lot of young goalie prospects in the system at the moment, which has caused a bit of a logjam at the ECHL and AHL levels.
We know the Leafs are going to likely go out and lock down at least one goalie via trade or via free agency this summer. Whether that be someone like John Gibson, Ville Husso, Darcy Kuemper or bringing back Jack Campbell remains to be seen. We also know they'd like to move Petr Mrazek and replace him with someone who has a bit more of a modest price tag for the value he adds at the position.
Excluding Campbell (or his replacement) and Mrazek (or his replacement), the Leafs currently still have Erik Kallgren, Joseph Woll, Keith Petruzzelli, Dryden McKay, Ian Scott (RFA) and Luke Cavallin under team control in North America, as well as Artur Akhtyamov and Vyacheslav Peksa in Europe. So how will this all play out? Here's how.
The ECHL's Newfoundland Growlers are likely going to be where McKay and Cavallin play this season, at least to start out. I'd imagine that the Marlies' tandem will be Joseph Woll and Erik Kallgren, with Keith Petruzzelli in the mix there as well. That leaves Ian Scott, who may not end up receiving a qualifying offer from the Leafs this summer. That's not based on any information other than common sense. With a glut of talent at the position, there may just be no room for the oft-injured Scott.
In terms of who has the best shot to excel this year, I'd imagine Dryden McKay is going to make some waves in the ECHL, while Woll, Kallgren and Petruzzelli end up in a battle for starts with the Marlies, with two emerging and one being dealt. As far as who the top option there is, Kallgren has the most NHL experience, but Woll is likely still higher on the depth chart. If you ask former NHL goaltender Mike McKenna, he thinks Woll is due for a breakout season.
McKenna, a long-time AHL goaltender who played 35 games at the NHL level, tweeted on Saturday that he feels a big season looming for Woll, calling the soon to be 24-year-old the most talented youth goalie he's ever coached.
Woll has just 4 games of NHL experience under his belt, but he does hold a 3-1-0 record, a 2.76 GAA and a .911 sv% in those games (combined). At 6'4, 203 pounds, he has the size to be an effective NHL goaltender. He also has the athletic ability. Now it's just a matter of whether or not he has the details.
Woll was a 3rd round pick (62nd overall) by the Leafs in 2016, the same draft year as Auston Matthews. His AHL numbers don't exactly scream "future NHL star" but if McKenna is right about Woll and we see a big year from the American netminder, it may begin to lower the temperature a bit in Toronto in terms of goalie development. It'll also help once the Leafs re-vamp the organization's goaltending department and hire a new goalie coach who may have new wisdoms to impart on the crop of promising young goaltenders in the system.
Like I said, lots of questions when it comes to goalies this summer. Hopefully this upcoming season can provide some answers.
| POLL | ||
JUIN 25 | 469 ANSWERS Former NHL goalie predicting a breakout season from Leafs prospect Joseph Woll Will Joseph Woll have a massive year with the Marlies and emerge as a possible NHL option in the future? | ||
| Yes | 318 | 67.8 % |
| No | 151 | 32.2 % |
| List of polls | ||
