Should the Toronto Maple Leafs trade Anthony Stolarz?

Ever since joining the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2024–25 season, Anthony Stolarz has been the piece the team was looking for in net. After many years of different goalies, including Frederik Andersen, Jack Campbell, and James Reimer, it felt like this time, the Leafs found their guy.

In his first season last year, Stolarz put up fantastic numbers, posting a 21–8–3 record with four shutouts and a .926 save percentage, with only giving up an average of 2.14 goals per game. An impressive stint, but this season hasn’t been so kind to the 31-year-old netminder.

With the Leafs already starting this season poorly, and after calling out the team for their terrible play on Nov. 11, Stolarz went down with an upper-body injury. No one knew how bad it was going to be. Since then, Stolarz has not laced the skates for a game, and no one has a timeline on when he may return. With how the young guns between the pipes, Joseph Woll and Dennis Hildeby, are playing, it doesn’t appear the Leafs need Stolarz back in net.

This brings a significant question to light: Should the Leafs trade Stolarz?

Why the Leafs should trade Stolarz

It’s no secret that the Leafs goaltending since Stolarz was sidelined back in November has been really solid, especially starting 2026 off. If Woll and Hildeby are playing so well, why bother carrying a third extra goalie? Sure, it’s nice to have, especially with Stolarz’s experience in the postseason and even playing well last year, but you have two hot young goalies that you can roll with in the postseason.

Joseph Woll has proven that if healthy,  he could be a great goalie. Arguably, if the Maple Leafs had him for the whole series against the Boston Bruins back in 2024, they might have won. And who knows what could have happened from there.

With how close the standings are, there are definitely some teams out there looking to add a goalie heading into the trade deadline. With the stat lines and resume that Stolarz has, the Leafs could get a really solid return to help their defence and even their forward group. A trade that includes Stolarz could net some draft picks in return, which the Leafs don’t have many of.

Why the Leafs shouldn’t trade Stolarz

The current play of Woll and Hildeby has been tremendous for the Leafs, but if they make the postseason and either one of them goes down with injury, who do you have as another option?  It also depends on whether their play can carry over from the regular season to the postseason, as Hildeby has never seen playoff ice in his young career.

If they run into a hot team in the first round and both goalies can’t compete, they’re left with no option. Keeping Stolarz puts a lot of relief on Leafs fans heading into the postseason, as Leafs Nation knows he can bring it. Having him in case either Woll or Hildeby goes down, or both of them all of a sudden are not playing well, Stolarz can come and calm the storm.

Trading one of your solid pieces and net could end up hurting your team in the end, as goalies are one of the most, if not the most important positions in hockey. Having three great netminders, especially one with tons of experience, goes a long way.

Decision?

With the team’s recent play looking phenomenal and all players clicking at once, it doesn’t appear the Leafs need any small additions to benefit the team heading into the playoffs. Giving up one of your best goalies could bring in some big pieces within the NHL, but ultimately, why give up such an important part of your team if you’re playing well?

At the end of the day, the Leafs have options, which is never a bad thing. If it comes to a point where they need a big-time defenceman or a right winger to play alongside Auston Matthews in the top-six, using Stolarz in a trade package could bring in a hefty return.

The Leafs hold their fate in their own hands. Keep this level of play and forget about the trade rumours. But if they stumble, the consequences won’t just show up in the standings; it could mean saying goodbye to one of the best goaltenders Leafs fans have watched in years.