"Hello Carter Hart?" "Stolarz contract leverage through the roof": NHL fans react as Leafs' Joseph Woll takes personal leave of absence

The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that goaltender Joseph Woll is taking a personal leave of absence. Woll is attending a personal family matter. No details were given, and his privacy was requested.

Here's the official release from Toronto:

"The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that goaltender Joseph Woll has taken a leave of absence from the team to attend to a personal family matter. No additional details will be provided at this time, and we ask that his privacy be respected."

NHL insider David Alter clarified that Leafs general manager Brad Treliving said it is not substance-abuse related.

"No details were provided but Treliving made a point to say it is not a substance-abuse related matter..." Alter wrote.

With Woll away, Toronto will rely on Anthony Stolarz and other backup goaltenders as the team continues training camp preparations. Depth in goal will be important moving forward. However, the Leafs have not given a timeline for Woll’s return.

Fans reacted to the news on X.

"Stolarz contract leverage through the roof!" One fan wrote.

“I assume today we will see ‘Carter Hart signs with TOR.’” Another fan added.

"Hello Carter Hart? (Kidding)" one fan reacted.

"Sincerely hope him/his family is alright, take care Woller 🥺" a fan wrote.

Here are some more reactions from fans on X:

"Leafs officially and notably, 'Done like dinner.' ... Now where and when did I hear that before? .... 22 ..." a fan wrote.

"Oh man! Hope everything works out with him 🙏🏼." another fan wrote.

"Marner isnt around to run the locker room playlist so that’s probably why," one fan mentioned former Leafs forward Mitch Marner's departure.

Leafs' early exit despite Joseph Woll's standout season

In late May, the Leafs were eliminated from the playoffs after a 6-1 loss to the Florida Panthers in Game 7. Toronto finished first in the Atlantic Division with 108 points and defeated the Ottawa Senators in the first round. However, poor scoring and home losses hurt their chances in the second, marking another early exit from the playoffs.

Joseph Woll stepped in after Anthony Stolarz was injured. The 27-year-old started six playoff games and appeared in seven overall. He finished with a 3-4 record and a .886 save percentage. In the regular season, Woll went 27-14-1 with a 2.73 goals-against average.

About the author

Ankit is an NHL journalist at Sportskeeda with over 3 years of experience in the writing industry. He has expertise in sports, product, and travel content writing. His interest in ice hockey was piqued after watching Sidney Crosby play and he has been passionately following the game since then. Ankit admires Crosby’s personality and hockey IQ, and when he crossed the 1,500 points tally, Ankit was among the biggest fans to celebrate the occasion.

An Edmonton Oilers fan because of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl, Ankit also admires the Pittsburgh Penguins due to Crosby and the Colorado Avalanche for Nathan MacKinnon. He is also a fan of Wayne Gretzky and Bobby Orr.

Holding a Bachelor’s degree in English Literature and Language, Ankit believes his education has helped him develop a knack for presenting information in a precise and compelling manner. He only sources information from credible avenues and trusted people from his network for his articles.

When he is not watching or writing about the NHL, Ankit loves listening to music and reading books.

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Edited by Krutik Jain