Signing Anthony Stolarz to a two-year, $2.5-million AAV contract may go down as Brad Treliving’s best move throughout his tenure as Maple Leafs’ GM.
Throughout this past offseason there were rumblings the Leafs were considering the former Florida Panthers’ backup as a tandem option for Joseph Woll, and while some people felt it had potential to work, there were a ton of nay-sayers who were trying to leverage how Stolarz had never made more than 28 starts in his NHL career, and an increased work load would see a decrease in production. A month into his two-year contract, Stolarz is making his GM look like a genius.
Stolarz has started his career in blue and white with a 5-2-2 record through his first nine games, including a 2.12 goals against average (GAA) and a .928 save percentage (Sv.%). Of goalies with more than five starts through the first month of the season, Stolarz ranks third in the league in Sv.%, trailing one goalie in Igor Shesterkin of the New York Rangers, who is set to make almost $10 million more than what the Leafs are paying their new starter.
It was some slick business from Treliving to land Stolarz for just $2.5 million per season, and after William Nylander waited out Treliving to wind up making $11.5 million per season, plus the questionable contracts for David Kampf and Ryan Reaves the summer before, Treliving has totally redeemed himself.
It hasn’t always been easy for Stolarz. The struggles early on in his career have shaped him into the competitor he is today. Long gone are the days as an Edmonton Oiler when he couldn’t make the most out of his opportunity. Or his two years in Anaheim, which ended with him posting a 3.66 GAA in 19 appearances. Stolarz is a Stanley Cup champion, he’s found a way to sustain results in goal, and frankly, if he’s on top of his game consistently throughout this season, he’ll wind up getting some Vezina trophy votes, and most importantly, give the Maple Leafs a chance at a very deep playoff run.
While Woll has started slow, thanks to beginning the season on the injured reserve, there shouldn’t be any concern he won’t be able to find his game. Woll, like Stolarz, signed a multi-year deal with the Leafs last offseason, and with the two netminders under contract for this year at $3.26 million combined and next season at $6.1 million, the Leafs’ tandem could not only become one of the league’s best, but also the NHL’s most affordable.
Kudos to Treliving and company for the tidy business. The Maple Leafs are set in net and this newfound level of comfort hasn’t been felt in Toronto for quite some time.a
