There is an update on who many consider to be the new No. 1 between the pipes in The Six.
On Monday, Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed goaltender Joseph Woll is “not anywhere close” to returning to the lineup.
Woll was on the ice during the All-Star break, and is scheduled to continue to practice with the team throughout the week. While talking to the media right after the All-Star break, Keefe assured that Woll will not be playing this week.
The 25-year-old has not played since Dec. 7, when he left late in a game against the Ottawa Senators with an apparent lower-body injury. After further tests, it was revealed that Woll had suffered a high ankle sprain, and was placed on injured reserve.
It had been a great start to the 2023-24 campaign for the Dardenne Prairie, Missouri native, as he took the starting job away from Ilya Samsonov with a series of great outings, keeping the Leafs in the top three in the Atlantic Division.
Woll was 8-5-1 with a 2.80 goals-against average and .916 save percentage in 15 games prior to the injury. With him out of the lineup, Toronto has stayed afloat, going 12-8-4 over that span. Samsonov has seemingly found his confidence after some time away from the team, and has created a decent tandem alongside Martin Jones.
Woll is part of a Toronto injured list that includes a couple of key depth pieces. On Sunday, Keefe announced that David Kämpf will not play Monday night against the New York Islanders, and is considered day-to-day starting next week. The extent of his injury is unknown, as they will await the results of an MRI in the near future. Calle Järnkrok has been on the shelf since last month with an undisclosed injury.
After their matchup on Long Island, the Leafs (25-14-8) return home to host the Dallas Stars on Wednesday, before a Saturday night clash with the pesky Ottawa Senators on Saturday.
They come into Monday holding the first Wild Card spot in the Eastern Conference. Toronto is tied for fourth in the Atlantic with the Detroit Red Wings, both one point back of the Tampa Bay Lightning for third.
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