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The Strangest Maple Leafs Goalie Stat of the Season

Originally posted on NHL Trade Talk | By Old Prof | Last updated Mar 9, 2026 12:20 PM ET

Here’s one of those odd little hockey statistics that makes you stop for a moment and scratch your head. Cayden Primeau barely spent any time with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season. In fact, he only appeared in three games before the waiver carousel sent him somewhere else.

And yet — believe it or not — he’s the only Maple Leafs goalie with a winning record.

Primeau Played Three Games and Won Two

Primeau finished his brief Toronto stay with a 2–1 record. That’s it. No long run of games, no dramatic highlight reel, just a quiet little winning mark before he disappeared again. Meanwhile, the goalies who actually carried the load this season are all sitting on the other side of the ledger.

Joseph Woll is 13-10-4.
Anthony Stolarz is 7-9-3.
Dennis Hildeby is 5-6-4.

The way the Maple Leafs goalies have played, you’ve got to give them credit — they’re all putting in respectable work in their own ways. But when you count overtime losses the way the standings do, none of them are actually above .500.

Primeau is the lone exception.

Primeau’s Time in Toronto Came and Went in a Flash

His time in Toronto was brief and a little yo-yo-like. The Maple Leafs grabbed him on waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes in October, and the Hurricanes reclaimed him shortly thereafter. It didn’t take long before he was playing regularly with the American Hockey League (AHL) Chicago Wolves.

During his three NHL appearances with Toronto, Primeau didn’t exactly light the world on fire. His numbers — a 4.30 goals-against average and an .838 save percentage — were nothing that would make a goalie coach frame the stat sheet.

But when the dust settled, two of those games ended in wins.

Funny game, hockey.

Primeau Is a Quirky Footnote in a Forgettable Maple Leafs Season

Primeau is still just 26, big in the net, and he’s been far steadier down in the AHL, where he’s put together a solid season. His record there is 16-5-5, with a goals-against average of 2.58 and a save percentage of 0.910 in 26 games.

All that bouncing around probably didn’t help his confidence, but goalies are stubborn — they keep plugging away no matter what.

For Maple Leafs fans, this whole thing is really just a quirky footnote in what has been a somewhat uneven season in goal. Woll has had strong stretches. Stolarz has battled. Hildeby has done his best when called upon. They’ve carried the real workload.

But the Only Goalie with the Winning Record in a Forgettable Season Is Forgettable Himself

Technically — and hockey loves its technicalities — the only Leafs goalie with a winning record was the one who barely stuck around long enough to be noticed. Cayden Primeau will likely never wear a Maple Leafs jersey again.

But for that one odd little stretch of the season, Primeau can claim he was the only Leafs goalie above water. Hockey’s got a knack for those weird little footnotes that make you smile.

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

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