Dan Hamilton-Imagn Images

The Anthony Stolarz Situation Is Getting Strange

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Old Prof | Last updated Dec 29, 2025 5:01 PM ET

When the Toronto Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz went down in mid-November, the first word was reassuring. A couple of games. Not a concussion. Something upper-body, but nothing too alarming. The kind of update teams give all the time.

Except here we are, eight weeks later, and he still hasn’t skated. Now he’s seeing a specialist. And the language has shifted from “day-to-day” to “not progressing the way we thought.”

The Maple Leafs Are “Careful” to Avoid Giving Injury Information

The Maple Leafs have always been careful with injury information, but this feels different. More guarded. More vague. And, frankly, more confusing than usual. We’re told it’s not a concussion, but we’re also told there are setbacks. Setbacks from what, exactly? If a player isn’t skating, isn’t practising, isn’t even close to returning, the injury itself hasn’t suddenly changed — so what’s setting him back?

Some of this secrecy is understandable. Teams don’t want players targeted. We’ve all seen what happens once word gets out that someone is nursing something specific. The Maple Leafs have lived this before, and Stolarz himself lived it during last year’s Florida series. After the hit from his so-called “good friend” Sam Bennett, everything felt different. Was Stolarz the difference? Maybe, maybe not. But when he was out, that was it. However it happened, the door closed fast.

Does Anyone Know (Including the Maple Leafs) What’s Going on with Stolarz?

What’s unsettling now is the sense that no one — or at least no one publicly — really knows what’s going on. Either the Maple Leafs are choosing to say as little as possible, or they genuinely don’t have a clear answer yet. Best case, it’s caution. Worst case, it’s uncertainty. And that’s not something teams like to admit.

There’s also the uncomfortable truth about Stolarz himself. When he’s healthy, he’s outstanding. Calm, steady, reliable. But staying healthy has been the issue, and it’s been the issue more often than anyone would like. Availability matters in the crease.

The saving grace for Toronto is that Joseph Woll, when he’s right, can carry games. Hildeby has been a bit of a gift. He’s stepped in and given the Leafs more than they reasonably had a right to expect, and that’s probably the only reason this hasn’t turned into something bigger.

The Stolarz Situation Is Stagnant

The Stolarz situation isn’t moving forward. It just sits. But this kind of silence is unusual, even for an organization that likes to keep its cards close. At some point, “upper body” stops being a reason. It just becomes a question mark.

This article first appeared on NHL Trade Talk and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: