Has Anthony Stolarz been good enough for the Leafs?

Has Anthony Stolarz Been Good Enough for the Maple Leafs?

The Toronto Maple Leafs have experienced a mixed start this season after winning their division last year. One of their biggest strengths last season was their goaltending.

Before the season began, Leafs general manager Brad Treliving signed Anthony Stolarz to a four-year contract with an average annual value of $3.75 million. This followed a strong previous season in which Stolarz posted a .926 save percentage over 34 games, making the deal appear solid.

Stolarz's Performance This Season

However, there has been some debate about Stolarz's current performance. It is important to note that the Leafs' defense has not been strong enough. Stolarz has faced the ninth-highest number of high-danger shots among all NHL goalies.

For a goaltender to succeed, they must not be exposed to many "grade A" scoring chances. Given the volume of high-danger shots Stolarz faces, it is unsurprising that the Leafs allow the seventh-most goals in the NHL.

"Stolarz has a .895 save percentage and a -0.85 goals saved above average (GSAA), ranking 43rd in the league."

It seems more high-quality shots are getting past Stolarz compared to last year, which the statistics confirm.

Summary

Despite a promising contract and previous strong performance, Stolarz's play this season has been challenged largely due to defensive weaknesses, impacting his numbers negatively.

Author’s note: Anthony Stolarz’s struggles this season reflect more on the Leafs' defensive shortcomings than solely on his goaltending ability.

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Editor In Leaf Editor In Leaf — 2025-11-08

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