“Had a heavy workload”: Elliotte Friedman makes his thoughts on Anthony Stolarz‘s injury crystal clear

Throughout the early portion of the 2024-25 season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have been buoyed by Anthony Stolarz. Their goalkeeping has kept them not only afloat but near the top of their conference. With Joseph Woll at times nursing injuries, Stolarz stepped up in a big way.

Now, it's Stolarz's turn to potentially miss time with an injury. The goalkeeper started on Thursday night after playing on Tuesday, which isn't all that common, and he had to exit the game with an injury.

NHL analyst Elliotte Friedman said of Stolarz playing back-to-back games on the 32 Thoughts podcast (23:10):

"But I don't think those guys were crazy about about Stolarz, starting on Thursday, because he played Tuesday. He played great. He had a heavy workload. Not a guy who's played a lot, he's got an injury history. ...

"It's not like Woll doesn't have an injury history, too... because Stolarz hasn't played a ton, and because Woll hasn't played a time, ... you're kind of damned if you do."

Friedman said that either goalkeeper for the Maple Leafs could get hurt at any time. They both have injury histories, which makes it harder when both guys are playing well. He said:

"They're giving you one of the best dollar-value goaltending."

Friedman did note that the silver lining is that it's better for Stolarz to go down now than in April.

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Joseph Woll addresses Anthony Stolarz's injury

Joseph Woll had to step in on short notice with the injury to Anthony Stolarz. Pressed into action, he turned in a solid relief outing to get a win for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Now, all eyes are on when Stolarz will be back.

Joseph Woll relieved Anthony Stolarz last night (Imagn)

Via Leafs Nation, Woll said:

“Obviously, I’m sad for him. At the same time, I’ve got a job to do, and we have to kind of trigger that on, so I hope he’s alright.”

Defenseman Conor Timmins added:

"We trust both goalies, they both play the puck really well and they’re both very vocal.”

The Leafs will know more about the injury after running some tests, but they're hoping for positive news regarding Stolarz's long-term status on the roster.