Maple Leafs' Anthony Stolarz Catches Attention After Preseason Scare

The hit marked the second time this month that Stolarz has been targeted in the crease. Stolarz had already been knocked by Montreal Canadiens forward Laurent Dauphin earlier in the preseason, another hit that raised alarms given his medical history.

Stolarz’s injury risk is magnified by Toronto’s goaltending situation. Joseph Woll remains unavailable, leaving the Leafs thin at the position.

Behind Stolarz, rookie Dennis Hildeby and veteran James Reimer, currently on a professional tryout, are the only reliable options, turning any potential injury to Stolarz into a very worrying scenario for the Leafs.

Stolarz’s value is clear after he posted a .926 save percentage, 2.14 goals-against average and four shutouts in 34 appearances last season. He posted a 2.19 GAA and a .901 SV% in seven postseason games.

Toronto signed Stolarz to a four-year, $15 million extension on the verge of the 2025-26 regular season, showing his commitment to and trust in the veteran goalie.

Stolarz has never appeared in more than 34 games during any of his 10 seasons in the NHL, but he is projected to take on a heavier workload than ever before in Toronto next season, even more with Woll out.

Speaking after the game, head coach Craig Berube didn't have anything to say about Stolarz's injury scare, simply discussing his overall performance and praising the goalie.

"Same thing you all thought of him," Berube said." Pretty darn good."

The Leafs dropped Thursday's exhibition 3-1 to the Red Wings, but Stolarz stopped 39 of the 41 shots he saw for a .951 SV%, logging 58:31 minutes of playing time.

A few fans commented on the hit on X, noting how Stolarz can't seem to scape getting hit on the head.

"How many times is he gonna get hit in the head?" one user posted.

"With Stolarz now having a concussion history this does not surprise me that his teammates are gonna defend him for a bump to the head," another wrote.

"Protect Stolarz head at all cost @MapleLeafs," one person said.

"Watch (Raymond's) elbow come up when he sees Stolarz head he wasnt even trying to dodge lol," another account noted.

"People forget how much the Leafs season was buoyed last year by above average goaltending. With Woll out indefinitely and Stolarz's already soft head being treated as the league pinata, they are skating on thin ice here," one user said, highlighting Stolarz's importance to Toronto.