Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz expected to miss four-to-six weeks with knee injury

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced Tuesday that goaltender Anthony Stolarz will be sidelined for the next four-to-six weeks to a due knee injury.

Maple Leafs general manager Brad Treliving confirmed to David Alter of The Hockey News that an MRI scan revealed a ‘pebble’ in the goaltender’s knee.

Stolarz has made 17 appearances with the Maple Leafs this season, owning a 9-5-2 record. Among goaltenders with at least 10 games played, Stolarz leads the league with a .927 save percentage and sits second-best with a 2.15 goals-against average.

The 30-year-old New Jersey native is competing in his first season with the Maple Leafs after serving in a backup capacity a year ago with the Stanley Cup-winning Florida Panthers. Stolarz joined the Maple Leafs as an unrestricted free agent, signing a two-year pact that carries a $2.5-million annual average value, per PuckPedia.

Stolarz has missed the Maple Leafs’ last two games. He played the first period versus the Anaheim Ducks last Thursday before being forced out of the game with the knee injury.

The aiment is the third major knee injury of Stolarz’s career. As part of the Philadelphia Flyers in 2017-18, Stolarz missed 59 games due to a knee injury and, during his stint with the Ducks in 2022-23, he missed the final 30 games of the regular season after undergoing knee surgery.

In Stolarz’s absence, the Maple Leafs will turn to 26-year-old Missouri-born goaltender Joseph Woll. In 12 outings this season, Woll has posted an 8-4-0 record alongside a .918 save percentage and 2.24 goals-against average.

On the season, the Maple Leafs sit atop the Atlantic Division with a 19-10-2 showing and 40 points. Toronto won its most recent outing in coming away with a 5-3 victory over the Buffalo Sabres on Sunday and will look to keep up its winning ways Wednesday versus the Dallas Stars.