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Woll deserves to start for the Leafs in 2023-24

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll. Nick Turchiaro-USA TODAY Sports

Joseph Woll deserves to start for the Maple Leafs in 2023-24

By Josh Kestenbaum | Last updated 5/17/23

Lots of questions surround the Toronto Maple Leafs following their second-round exit at the hands of the Florida Panthers: the Core Four, Kyle Dubas, Sheldon Keefe.

Goaltending should not be among them because the answer is already in the organization. Joseph Woll deserves at least a shot at the starting job in 2023-24.

Woll was a stalwart in four appearances in the Stanley Cup Playoffs, making four appearances and posting a .915 save percentage and a 2.43 goals against average. In his two starts, his numbers were even better; he stopped 64 of the 68 shots he faced, for a .941 SV% and 1.77 GAA.

"You've got a young kid coming in that doesn't have the burden of having lost the three games."

Joseph Woll did exactly what the @MapleLeafs needed him to do in Game 4. #LeafsForever @TonyLuftman | @KenDaneykoMSG | #StanleyCup pic.twitter.com/Ys9VdBlJRl
— NHL Network (@NHLNetwork) May 11, 2023

The Boston College product was also spectacular in the regular season. Woll returned from injury this season and spent most of his time with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. In 21 appearances, he put up a .927 SV% and 2.37 GAA on his way to a 16-4-1 record, which included an 11-game winning streak.

He also made seven starts for the Maple Leafs in 2022-23 and posted slightly better numbers while with the major league club (.932 SV% and 2.16).

As for his competition, Ilya Samsonov and Matt Murray are standing in his way.

Samsonov was Toronto’s starter going into the postseason. Samsonov started each of the Maple Leafs’ first nine playoff games but had a sub-.900 save percentage and surrendered an over-3.00 goals against average before going down with an injury, making way for Woll.

Ilya Samsonov is headed to the locker room after this collision, with Joseph Woll taking over in net pic.twitter.com/5Q6qS8vEHW
— Shayna (@hayyyshayyy) May 7, 2023

Samsonov’s regular season was a bounce-back from his previous season with the Washington Capitals and was the best of his career but his numbers still lagged behind Woll’s.

Murray only made 26 starts — compared to Samsonov’s 40 — mostly because of injuries; his last appearance for Toronto came in April. Murray’s stats were also worse than Samsonov’s and Woll’s and his injury history does not bode well for his longevity.

After this season, Murray still has one more year on his deal and will make $4.6875M. Samsonov is a restricted free agent this offseason and is arbitration-eligible.

Woll still has two more years at $766,667 per year and will be an arbitration-eligible restricted free agent after 2024-25. Having Woll would offer some cap flexibility for a team that literally had zero dollars in cap space at the end of the season.

Samsonov is coming off of his best statistical season of his four-season career in which he made his most starts, so his trade value may never be higher. Murray would be harder to move with his injury history and modified no-trade clause.

Whether the Maple Leafs decide to blow it up or go for another run at a Stanley Cup, Woll should be the starter next season.

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