Maple Leafs' reported pursuit of Bruins goalie comes with risk

The season is about to start, but the Toronto Maple Leafs are still being linked to available players, in this case, via waivers.

Toronto will begin its 2025-2026 campaign with instability in goal. Although they recently extended Anthony Stolarz for four years, Joseph Woll will be out indefinitely for personal reasons.

Because of this, the Maple Leafs claimed Cayden Primeau via waivers and kept Dennis Hildeby as a depth option. However, according to RG's James Murphy, Toronto has also shown interest in Boston Bruins goaltender Michael DiPietro.

"I’ve heard the Maple Leafs and Flames have expressed trade interest in him before," Murphy wrote. "I’d also keep an eye on the Hurricanes. This kid was expected to have teams willing to sign him if he hadn’t re-upped with the Bruins."

"I’ve had conversations with managers, and the feeling is that teams who need backups would love to grab him off waivers," Murphy added. "Because they think he can be a 1B, not just a backup."

Why Maple Leafs' rumored interest in Michael DiPietro hurts their goalie stability

With the claim of Primeau and the release of James Reimer's PTO, Toronto's goal seemed to take shape with Stolarz as 1A, and Primeau and Hildeby in support.

Stolarz is already proven in coach Craig Berube's system. Altering the structure with a new goalie would add unnecessary friction. Furthermore, adding DiPietro would use cap space without a clear improvement.

It doesn't make sense for Toronto to be interested in DiPietro after claiming Primeau. It would mean doubling down and could risk Hildeby's development and Primeau's minutes.

For a team looking for immediate points, it is risky to bet on a goalie with minimal NHL experience. It would be better to maintain the structure with Stolarz plus Primeau/Hildeby.

In October, the Leafs' goal needs certainties, not experiments. Woll's situation already represented instability. A season is not won at the start, but ground can be lost.