If you step foot deep into the Toronto Maple Leafs’ dressing room at Ford Performance Centre, you’ll stumble upon the team’s goalie stalls in the back-left corner. One of those three stalls is empty, with the goalie gear missing.
That’s Joseph Woll’s seat.
The 27-year-old has been away from the Maple Leafs since Sept. 23, after taking what Toronto GM Brad Treliving described as “a leave of absence to attend to a personal family issue.” Since then, updates on the netminder have been a rarity, with the last one coming from Treliving on Oct. 7.
“We think things are progressing well, but I can’t give you a timeframe [on when he could return] right now.”
Following Wednesday’s optional practice, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube was asked how Woll was doing. It’s been a while since the coach was asked about the netminder, plus his equipment was still hanging in his stall at the practice facility a week or two ago.
“I don’t really have an update for you right now on Joe,” Berube said. “I mean, he’s doing fine. Like I said, when he’s back, he’s back.”
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The Toronto coach was pressed further about the subject, being asked if Woll’s been skating, given his gear isn’t in the dressing room. Berube wasn’t willing to disclose anything.
“When he’s back, he’s back. That’s all I got.”
After the news about Woll taking a leave of absence came down, Toronto signed James Reimer to a professional tryout. That lasted until one of the final days of training camp as the Maple Leafs claimed Cayden Primeau off waivers from the Carolina Hurricanes.
Primeau has since been Toronto’s backup to Anthony Stolarz. In his only game of action this season, against the Nashville Predators, the 26-year-old goaltender stopped 30 of 34 shots in a 7-4 win.
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Stolarz and Primeau are expected to split the net this weekend in back-to-back games against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and Saturday. Stolarz, in six games, has two wins and a .894 save percentage.
There were a lot of positives surrounding Woll entering this season. After playing a career-high 42 games last year, and racking up 27 wins and a .909 save percentage in that span, Woll came into relief for Stolarz, who suffered a concussion in the second round against the Florida Panthers.
Maple Leafs Goaltender Joseph Woll Donates $80,000 to CAMH Through Partnership With Mattamy Homes
Last season, Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll teamed up with home builder Mattamy Homes to donate $5,000 to the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) for every victory he recorded at Scotiabank Arena, a donation that was doubled if the netminder recorded a shutout.
Woll finished the series with three wins and an .886 save percentage. Toronto was ultimately eliminated by Florida, but Woll can hang his hat on the performance through the seven games.
It’s hard to get a read on when Woll might return to the Maple Leafs. With Berube’s answer on Wednesday, it doesn’t appear the goaltender will be rejoining the team in the near future.
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