J.S. Giguere is “worried” about Joseph Woll
The former Leafs goaltender is expressing his concern over the current man in Toronto's crease.
The Toronto Maple Leafs moved on from Ilya Samsonov after two seasons; he would find himself being replaced in net in Round 1 of the postseason against the Boston Bruins by Joseph Woll, who immediately reversed Toronto's fortunes with wins in Game 5 and 6; an untimely injury forced the return of Samsonov for Game 7, a 2-1 overtime loss.
With Samsonov's departure, Woll is now the expected starter in the Leafs crease; he'll be competing with the newly signed Anthony Stolarz, formerly of the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, for playing time this season.
Leafs management felt strongly enough about Woll to extend him with a three year, $10.98 million deal - but he's yet to play a full season in the NHL. And according to former Cup winner (and one-time Leafs goaltender) in his own right J.S. Giguere, that's cause for concern - though he does believe Woll is Toronto's goalie of the future.
“I really love Woll. I like the way he plays; I think he’s definitely the goalie of the future for the Leafs,” said Giguere while making an appearance on Leafs Morning Take. "I am a little bit worried about his lack of experience. I think only being 25 and being the number one goalie in Toronto, it’s a lot. His technique, his size, I think he can do it. There is no doubt in my mind that he’s a good goalie.”
“With Stolarz, he doesn’t have a whole lot of experience himself, only 109 games in the NHL. Although he’s 30 years old, he’s won the (Stanley) Cup this year, so that will give him some experience,” Giguere continued. “He’s a really good proven number two goalie, but going into the season with the pressure you have in Toronto, for sure you have your reservations. But they are two capable goalies, and I think if they can surround themselves with some good veterans, which is what I think they are trying to do, I say why not. They can do it.”
Will Woll and Stolarz be able to provide a solid 1-2 punch in net for Toronto?
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