Maple Leafs Making Anthony Stolarz Available

Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz has found his way into a few trade conversations, according to Kevin Weekes of ESPN. The likelihood of him being on the move seems reasonably low with a limited goalie market and several higher-clout names out there, namely Jordan Binnington and Sergei Bobrovsky, as Weekes reaffirms, but it’s still a new development to see Stolarz’s name mentioned as available.

It’s understandable, given the season Stolarz has had. The 32-year-old has appeared in just 20 games for Toronto with a .891 save percentage and a 7-8-3 record. Behind the Leafs’ average defense, that translates to -8.8 goals saved above expected, per MoneyPuck. On a per 60 basis, his -0.486 mark is fifth-worst in the league (min. 18 games). It’s a stunning reversal after leading the league in save percentage in back-to-back seasons in backup/tandem deployment with the Leafs and Panthers.

That two-year sample between 2023-25, in which Stolarz posted a .926 SV% and 2.10 GAA in 61 starts with a 37-15-5 record, would make Stolarz an intriguing 1B option for a team that needs one. His contract, a four-year, $15MM extension with a modified no-trade clause that kicks in next season, won’t be particularly desirable with his injury history, though.

While his numbers haven’t been great, the lack of playing time this year has mostly stemmed from an upper-body injury that sidelined him for over two months and nearly half of Toronto’s schedule. It’s the third time in four seasons that he’s been available for at least a quarter of his team’s games. No matter how well he plays, he can’t be relied upon as a starting or 1A option year-to-year with that kind of propensity for injuries.