Joseph Woll rejoins Maple Leafs after personal leave of absence

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll will be rejoining the team after taking a leave of absence to address a personal family matter, the team announced Friday.

Woll will resume on-ice activities as he works his way back into form, while Anthony Stolarz remains as the incumbent starter. Cayden Primeau is currently operating as the Maple Leafs’ backup goaltender.

Woll was granted the leave of absence on September 23 and has been away from the team since. Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving met with reporters at the Ford Performance Centre on September 23 to address Woll’s leave, and did not provide a timeline for his return.

“Joe Woll will be taking a leave of absence from the team to attend to a personal family issue. It’s a private matter at this point, and we keep to intend it that way for him. There’s no timeline. We obviously support him, 100 percent. I just ask for everyone to respect his privacy,” Treliving said.

The 27-year-old placed on long-term injured reserve Thursday per PuckPedia. As a result, Woll will have to miss at least 10 NHL games, starting with Friday’s contest against the Buffalo Sabres, and 24 days total. It’s likely that Woll will replace Cayden Primeau upon being activated from LTIR. Woll can return to the lineup on November 1 against the Philadelphia Flyers, as he was previously on injured reserve prior to LTIR designation at the start of the regular season.

Woll was expected to serve as Stolarz’s backup entering the 2024-25 season. Last season, Woll posted a 27-14-1 record with a .909 save percentage, taking on the majority of the workload after Stolarz missed nearly two months due to knee surgery. He signed a three-year extension with the Maple Leafs which runs through the 2027-28 season and is expected to be a long-term pillar of the organization.

This is good news for both Woll and the Maple Leafs, and he’ll certainly be welcomed back with open arms.