Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Joseph Woll is taking a leave of absence from the team to attend to a “personal family matter,” the organization announced Tuesday morning.
General manager Brad Treliving said there was no timeline on Woll’s return, including whether the 27-year-old would be back with the team for the start of the regular season next month.
“Certainly our expectation is Joe is gonna be back with us and we’ll see when that is,” Treliving said. “It’s early days. All our worry is just supporting and looking forward to getting him back.”
Treliving said the absence was not related to a substance abuse issue and reiterated it’s “a personal family matter right now that Joe is going to deal with and we’ll go from there.”
What it means for Leafs’ goalie depth
The Leafs provided no further details and asked for privacy on the matter.
If Woll is unavailable to begin the season, Dennis Hildeby figures to step into the No. 2 role behind Anthony Stolarz.
Hildeby signed a three-year contract with the Leafs this past offseason. He has appeared in only six NHL games.
“I think we just gotta wait and see right now,” Treliving said of the team’s goaltending depth. “I’m comfortable with the goalies that we have. We’ll see. Our expectation is that Joe’s gonna be back with us. But we’ll see.”
The uncertainty regarding Woll’s return makes any projection difficult.
However, if the Leafs were forced to be without Woll for any period during the regular season, especially an extended one, the crease would be in for a major test.
Absent Woll, the Leafs would be compelled to lean on Stolarz more than they might like or otherwise vault an unproven and perhaps unready Hildeby into more NHL action than he’s played to this point.
Stolarz performed very well last season, his first with the Leafs, but did so in only 33 starts, which marked a career high. Injuries have been an issue throughout his NHL career, including last season when he missed an extended period due to a knee injury.
Stolarz also suffered a concussion in the playoffs.
Woll stepped into the starting role in Stolarz’s place both times, providing the Leafs continued stability in goal.
The crease was arguably the strongest element of the team last season and an assumed point of strength heading into the 2025-26 season.
The Leafs have been in negotiations with Stolarz on a contract extension. Any stretch without Woll would be an opportunity for the 31-year-old to further prove his worth to the Leafs.
An injury to Stolarz, on top of Woll’s absence, and the Leafs would ice an unproven crease of Hildeby and Artur Akhtyamov.
Treliving might need to acquire more NHL-ready help in the event of a prolonged Woll absence.
Akhtyamov, a 23-year-old fourth-round pick from the 2020 draft, has never appeared in an NHL game. He posted a .901 save percentage in 26 appearances for the Marlies last season.
Hildeby has made only six starts in his NHL career, all of them last season. They were a mixed bag: Hildeby won three times and lost three times, giving up 20 goals while posting an .872 save percentage.
He posted a .908 save percentage in 30 games with the Marlies.
(Photo: Claus Andersen / Getty Images)