The Toronto Maple Leafs have their goaltending tandem locked up for the foreseeable future.
Last offseason, it was Joseph Woll earning an extension, and this time around, it was Anthony Stolarz’s turn to cash in.
The 6’6″, 243-pound netminder had a tremendous first season as a Maple Leaf, playing at an all-star level when healthy. But there was a big caveat: Stolarz had never started more than 30 games before last year, and he ultimately dealt with multiple injuries in the process.
Because of that, contract negotiations were somewhat complicated, though in the end Brad Treliving was able to work out a very good deal for both sides. Well, at least for Toronto that is.
Former NHL goaltender, now analyst, Stephen Valiquette, was asked about Stolarz and his new deal on the Real Kyper and Bourne show and had high praise for the Maple Leafs goaltender, surprised that he signed for so little.
“When I look by the numbers, over the last three years, I have Anthony Stolarz statistically, underlying numbers, adjusted save percentage, second-best goalie in the NHL. So, his numbers and his performance to my eye test would say, “You know what, man? If I’m your agent, I’m betting on you all day here; you’re a top goalie in the league; you’re a top five goalie in the league,” Valiquette said.
“Did he want the sure thing? I thought the sure thing; even if he had a bad year, I thought he’d get that number. Even on a bad year. So I thought jumping at that was a little too soon,” Valiquette added.
“Over the last three years, I have Anthony Stolarz — by underlying numbers — as the second-best goalie in the NHL… Even if he had a bad year [this season], he’d get that number.”@VallysView shares his thoughts on Stolarz’s extension with @RealKyper & @jtbourne.#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/dAf7ZL7dL7
— Sportsnet 590 The FAN (@FAN590) October 2, 2025
The 31-year-old, of course, just signed a four-year, $15 million extension with the Maple Leafs that will kick in after the 2025-26 season.
Stolarz could be busy early in the season
Fresh off his new contract, Anthony Stolarz is going to be heavily relied upon to begin the season, especially with Joseph Woll’s status in question because of a personal leave.
Stolarz spoke about it on Thursday night and embraced the potential to shoulder a big workload. Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun shared his comments on X (formerly Twitter).
“I expect to be leaned on quite a bit here. I’m just preparing each day and taking it all in. You don’t want to look ahead,” Stolarz said.
Stolarz: “I expect to be leaned on quite a bit here. I’m just preparing each day and taking it all in. You don’t want to look ahead.” #Leafs
— Terry Koshan 🇺🇦 (@koshtorontosun) October 3, 2025
With Woll having no timeline for a return, the Maple Leafs will need Stolarz to start the season strong so that they don’t fall behind the eight ball.
Expect the $15 million man to be in between the pipes for the home opener against the rival Montreal Canadiens on Wednesday, October 8, in Toronto.
