Maple Leafs Have First Official Goalie Controversy of the 2024-25 Season on Their Hands

In a pre-season game against the Detroit Red Wings on Thursday, Anthony Stolarz recorded a noteworthy 30-save shutout, leading the Leafs to a 2-0 victory. While it was known that there would be a competition in net between Stolarz and Joseph Woll, Stolarz's impressive play this pre-season has certainly opened the eyes on the fan base. He appears poised to challenge for the number one position, which was one of the reasons he wanted to sign with Toronto in the first place.

In a question asked by Leafs beat reporter David Alter on X:

While Woll was previously viewed as the goalie of the future in Toronto, it's clear that Stolarz is creating an opportunity for himself to claim the starting role, even before the season has begun.

Stolarz is coming off of a Stanley Cup win with the Florida Panthers in the 2023-24 season, where he recorded an impressive 16 wins, a .925 save percentage, and a 2.03 goals-against average in 27 regular-season games. Although he didn't play in many games, those numbers are outstanding, especially if he can maintain that level of performance over a larger workload.

The early signs from Stolarz in Toronto are very positive. Even if he doesn't take the starting position from Woll immediately, the healthy competition between the two goaltenders will push them both to excel. However, in my opinion, Stolarz is leaving nothing up to the imagination. He's been lights out so far and if the Leafs opted to start him for the season opener next week, it would be deserved.