Berube Reveals Why Leafs Fans Shouldn't Be Concerned About Joseph Woll's Absence on Saturday
Joseph Woll was a full participant in Maple Leafs practice on Friday, but was not on the ice for Saturday's sessions, leading to some concerns among fans.
Naturally, with the laundry list of health issues that Woll had endured in recent years, just about any absence will be scrutinized and speculated on. That's why when Woll missed Saturday's on ice sessions ahead of tonight's game against the Rangers, there was some growing concern amongst the Maple Leafs' fan base.
Thankfully, we can rest easy, as Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube addressed the absence following the morning skate, confirming that Woll was simply serving a mandatory say off, as outlined by the team's medical staff as a part of his recovery plan.
The injury issues for Woll date back a few years now, but a particularly tough run of injury luck last season -- both during the regular season and the playoffs -- has really had many skeptical of whether or not Woll is capable of handling the rigors of an 82-game season. Not only did Woll miss a lot of time last season with a high-ankle sprain, which contributed to him playing just 25 regular season games, he also suffered a back injury against the Boston Bruins at the tail end of Game 6, which prevented him from playing in the final and deciding Game 7 -- a game that the Bruins won to eliminate the Leafs in Round 1 once again.
When Woll was placed on injured reserve to begin the 2024-25 season, it really raised the level of concern over his persistent health issues once again. This time, it was a groin injury that had prevented him from being ready to go for opening night, so it's not a matter of the 26-year-old re-aggrivating an older injury. This one was a brand new issue, which has some questioning his long-term durability.
Thankfully, with Berube confirming that Woll is, in fact, healthy, we don't have to spend much time overanalyzing anything or overthinking the situation. By all accounts, Woll appears to be on track for a return this week.
With the Leafs having a back-to-back coming up on Monday and Tuesday, perhaps we'll see Woll make his season debut early on in the week. If he requires a bit more time to get up to speed, perhaps we'll see Woll debut on Thursday when the Leafs play host to Craig Berube's former team, the St. Louis Blues.
