Maple Leafs Coach Craig Berube Quells Additional Concerns Regarding Joseph Woll

Even before the 2024-25 season officially began, Joseph Woll has already had to endure a stretch on injured reserve after a lower-body injury had flared up and positioned him firmly on the sidelines, sparking some concern very early on.

Woll did not skate at all last week, but did briefly return to the ice on Monday and Tuesday. However, concerns began to rise once again when Woll left Tuesday's session very early on, leaving some to believe that he may have re-aggrivated his injury or that he might not yet be quite good to go.

Amid the confusion and concern, Leafs head coach Craig Berube stepped in to stop the speculation in its tracks, confirming on Tuesday that Woll is making positive progress and suggesting that we could see the young netminder practising with the team as early as Wednesday morning.

Woll signed a new 3-year extension with the Leafs this summer, which will kick in next season. The hope is that Woll can continue to make positive strides and hone his craft enough to the point where he'll be providing the Leafs with quality goaltending that will exceed his new $3.66M AAV, beginning in the 2025-26 season.

The 26-year-old currently has just 36 games of NHL experience under his belt and has posted a cumulative 2.76 GAA and .912 SV% during his young career.