The Great Divide: How to split the starts for the Maple Leafs goaltending tandem

The starting point of any goaltending tandem conversation needs to begin with goaltender controversies don’t exist until your two netminders are brawling in the parking lot. Having two good goaltenders is a blessing, not a curse, and the Toronto Maple Leafs have the luxury of putting someone in goal that they trust any given night. Splitting the workload isn’t high drama and the Olympics condensing the schedule on either side of the February break, having two quality goaltenders will be a difference maker for the Maple Leafs.

That said, there are two significant things that need to be considered when dividing up the Maple Leafs workload.

1. The playoffs let everyone know where they stand. Anthony Stolarz is the 1A. His regular season numbers in 2024-25 were better and he was given the net until his injury. With the February break is it possible that the Leafs try to get as much out of his as possible before and after the break relying on that February shutdown to reset their top netminder?
2. Joseph Woll is 27, has now has two NHL seasons of increased responsibility under his belt and is the goaltender under contract beyond 2025-26. If Woll is the future does getting him work take precedent over Stolarz?

The reality is that goaltending is a what have you done for me lately job and after a while it will be the hot hand who has the net. Given that both the careers of Stolarz and Woll serve as reminders that injuries will happen as well, the Leafs best laid plans aren’t going to matter too much once the season gets going.

The clean slate of a new season makes the intention of a 41 and 41 split the most likely possibility. If things go as 2024-25 did, Anthony Stolarz will have the net on opening night, I don’t think anyone would dispute that decision. The Maple Leafs have a back-to-back by the time they reach their third and fourth games, it’s safe to say that Joseph Woll won’t be waiting long for work either. With three back-to-backs in October, the most lopsided possible split we see of the Leafs net is likely eight starts compared to three. Presumably if the Maple Leafs go that route, the eight game lean towards Stolarz his opportunity to show what he can do with the net while still giving Woll a weekly start to keep him from getting cold. October is easy and likely helps inform what happens the rest of the way.

2024-25 Splits:

The previous season gives some insight into how things could play out. The 8-3 split between Stolarz and Woll to start isn’t far off the 7-2-2 Stolarz-Woll-Hildeby split and really highlights that the Leafs will attempt to go with Stolarz as their guy before the more balanced workload that followed through November and early December before Stolarz was injured.

Following Stolarz’ return the workload stayed even and it is worth noting that with the exception of November, which was very close, Stolarz outperformed Woll when both were options. It’s also worth noting that save percentages rose and declined consistently for each goaltender around the same months illustrating the importance of team play on that stat.

That preceding fact makes it hard to tell if Woll was fatigued by the late December and January workload that he took on in Stolarz’ absence and whether the March decline that both goaltenders experienced can be hung on their fatigue as it was a busy month for both of them or if it coincided with a Leafs team that was slow out of the gate following the trade deadline and adjusting to some new personnel.

Whatever the case, Stolarz had the best goals saved above expected/60 in the league last season and while Woll being 10th in the league out of goaltenders with over 20 games played is certainly encouraging, the net still looks like it belongs primarily to Stolarz on merit at this point.

The long season and load management

Assuming the goaltenders perform similarly to how they did in 2024-25, it seems reasonable to lean on Stolarz as much as possible up until the Olympic break. If he is ready to go and still outperforming Woll, let him play more even if it is a 60/40 split heading into the time off.

Where the load management aspect makes sense is in avoiding overworking Stolarz, if he is the presumed Game 1 of the playoffs starter, in the final post Olympic stretch. Finding a 50/50 split or giving slightly more work to Woll might make sense at that point.

What about Hildeby?

Dennis Hildeby played six games last season out of the eight that required Marlies relief. Assuming that once again the Marlies will be called upon for 6-10 games of goaltending, Hildeby is certainly someone the Leafs should be curious about seeing whether he’s improved and those potential ten games shouldn’t cause the season to implode (if ten games of a third string goaltender blows up the season there are bigger issues with the Leafs.)

Ideally the Leafs can give Hildeby more time before needing to call upon him, as all of his work came in the first four months of the season last year. Using Marlies netminders for mop up duty in April would be far more appealing.

Hildeby getting more of a look in the preseason also has a lot of appeal and playing Stolarz and Woll no more than they need to feel loose and face some competition should be the game plan. Hildeby as well as Akhtyamov are intriguing enough that the Leafs should want to give the majority of the work to them or potentially a pro tryout goaltender.

Stolarz’ 34 regular season games and seven playoff games was his busiest NHL season and busiest season overall since 2015-16. Woll’s 2024-25 season of 42 regular and seven playoff games was his heaviest workload ever. That’s not to say they can’t be pushed further but even if they match their bests from last season, there are six games that Hildeby will need to play. Not burning out Stolarz and Woll in the preseason seems like a no brainer.

A hot hand and good health and all bets are off

Two good goaltenders is a great problem to have, and history shows that both these guys are comfortable in a supporting role as well. Woll did well as Samsonov’s backup. Stolarz has been a capable backup for most of his career before getting the tandem opportunity in Toronto. If one of the goaltenders goes on a run, the other should be fine. Both will want the net but both will be better if they know they have to make the most of it when they start.

Replace goaltending controversy with goaltending comfort as the Leafs should have over 70 games this year where they have a capable #1 goaltender starting for them.