'We'll See Wһere He's At Tomorrow': Joseрһ Woll Contіnues To Imрrove, Could Be Full Pаrtісіраnt In Mарle Leаfs' Next Prасtісe

It sounded like Woll was expected to start in the Maple Leafs' season opener before being placed on injured reserve with lower body tightness.

Joseph Woll is getting closer to a return to the Toronto Maple Leafs' lineup.

The 26-year-old was on the ice again on Thursday during the team's optional practice. During the session, he and several other players worked on skills with the team's development staff.

Woll worked with Maple Leafs' goalie coach Curtis Sanford in his own end of the rink The goaltender worked on puck retrieval behind the net, among other drills, for over half an hour.

He also participated in Toronto's optional morning skate on Wednesday ahead of their 6-2 win over the LA Kings. That alone was a step in the right direction, and him being on the ice again on Thursday, proved that he's a step closer to a return.

"He's doing well. Keep him going here. We'll see where he's at tomorrow," said Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube.

Could he be a full participant in the team's practice on Friday?

"I think we'll see how today goes here and then we'll make a decision on it. We're not going to rush him," the head coach added.

Woll began the season on injured reserve after dealing with lower body tightness ahead of Toronto's season opener in Montreal. He's passed the time needed on injured reserve (seven days) and can return to game action at any point.

The Maple Leafs' next game is against the New York Rangers inside Scotiabank Arena on Saturday night.

As Berube said, though, there's no rush from the Maple Leafs' standpoint to rush Woll. Anthony Stolarz has been stellar through his first three games, allowing just five goals on 79 shots for a .940 save percentage.

"Like I said last night, he was solid in the game. Had to fight through a lot of traffic in that game. That team goes to the net hard, they shoot a lot of pucks from the point," Berube said. 

"I thought he did a good job. I thought our D did a good job in front of him too."

Woll is in the final year of a three-year deal, earning him $766,667 this season. His next contract, a three-year, $10.98 million deal, which he signed on July 1, will begin next season.