In a much-anticipated development for Toronto Maple Leafs fans, goaltender Joseph Woll finally hit the ice for practice on Friday after being sidelined with a lower-body injury that kept him out of the season opener last week. The 26-year-old netminder, who remains on injured reserve, revealed that he has been dealing with “a little bit of groin tightness” but did not provide a definitive timeline for his return to game action.
“Just really trying to take it day by day,” Woll stated after Friday’s practice, keeping fans on the edge of their seats with uncertainty about when they can expect to see him back in the lineup.
Woll was expected to be the starting goaltender for the Maple Leafs this season, following a solid performance in the previous season where he appeared in 25 games, boasting a 12-11-1 record with a 2.95 goals-against average and .907 save percentage. Despite suffering an injury that sidelined him for Game 7 of the Leafs’ first-round series loss to the Boston Bruins, Woll signed a lucrative three-year, $11 million contract extension in the offseason.
Selected 62nd overall in the third round of the 2016 NHL Draft, Woll has shown promise in his 36 games over three seasons with the team.
In Woll’s absence, Anthony Stolarz has stepped up in goal for the Maple Leafs, starting three games with a 2-1-0 record, a stellar 1.70 goals-against average, and a .940 save percentage. Dennis Hildeby also made a strong showing in his one start, recording a 2.02 goals-against average and .913 save percentage.
With the Maple Leafs boasting a 3-1-0 record this season, Stolarz may see a third consecutive start when the team faces off against the Los Angeles Kings on Saturday.
Meanwhile, defenseman Timothy Liljegren found himself back outside the top six in Friday’s practice after making his season debut in Wednesday’s win over the Kings. Conor Timmins was paired with Simon Benoit on the final pairing, while Liljegren worked with Philippe Myers in the extra pairing.
As Maple Leafs fans eagerly await Woll’s return to action, the team continues to navigate through the early stages of the season with a mix of experienced and emerging talent on the ice.