Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll will miss the team’s season opener against the Montreal Canadiens, head coach Craig Berube told reporters after Wednesday’s morning skate.
Berube said Woll experienced lower-body tightness on Tuesday and they are keeping him out of Wednesday’s game for precautionary measures.
With Woll out, Berube said 30-year-old goaltender Anthony Stolarz will start between the pipes against the Canadiens. Dennis Hildeby will also dress and back up Stolarz.
Berube did not rule out Woll starting Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, but he also said Hildeby will continue to travel with the team.
Woll posted a 12-11-1 record, 2.94 goals-against average and .907 save percentage with the Maple Leafs last season. Injuries have been a concern for the 26-year-old as he was out for over two months due to a high ankle sprain.
He also did not dress for Game 7 of the team’s first-round playoff series against the Boston Bruins due to an undisclosed injury.
Stolarz, 30, signed as a free agent with the Maple Leafs over the summer. He captured the Stanley Cup last season with the Florida Panthers as the backup to Sergei Bobrovsky.
Hildeby has yet to play with the Maple Leafs and spent last season with the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League. The 23-year-old from Jarfalla, Sweden, was drafted in the fourth round, 122nd overall, by the Maple Leafs in 2022.
