NHL analyst Steve Dangle believes the Toronto Maple Leafs should trade Anthony Stolarz while his value is at its highest.
The Maple Leafs signed Stolarz to a two-year, $5 million deal last offseason. He became Toronto’s starting goalie and will be in line for a hefty raise after this upcoming season. With that, Dangle believes it could be wise for Toronto to trade Stolarz to the Edmonton Oilers for a big return.
“There’s no goalies available. I love turning on a Leafs game and not worrying about who is in the net,” Dangle said on SDPN. “It’s one of the things I enjoyed most about this Leafs season… What if it’s Stolarz, one year of Stolarz for (Stuart) Skinner, plus. I’m getting a little nuts, because there are like three goalies available.”
Part of the return would be Skinner, who would form a tandem with Joseph Woll, while the Maple Leafs could get prospects or other NHL players in return. Although it would be a bold move, Dangle believes Stolarz’s value will never be higher, and it could be a chance to get a hefty return.
Stolarz went 21-8-3 with a 2.14 GAA and a .926 SV% last season. He had a stellar year, but did get injured in the second round of the playoffs and has been injury-prone in the past.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs would still have Joseph Woll under contract, who’s entering the first year of his three-year, $11 million deal.
Co-Host Doesn’t Think Maple Leafs Should Trade a Goalie
Although Dangle believes the Maple Leafs should look to trade Stolarz, his co-host Adam Wylde disagrees.
Wylde believes Toronto has a real advantage with Stolarz and Woll on relatively cheap contracts, and it doesn’t make sense to trade them.
“You do not deal from a strength. Both of them are injury-prone, no,” Wylde said.
However, Toronto could get Skinner back in return to form a tandem, or use the likes of Matt Murray.
“They love Matt Murray, I wonder if they could use him as the backup?,” the other co-host, Jesse Blake, chimed in.
Although Dangle thinks the Maple Leafs could look to trade a goalie, he isn’t sure Toronto would actually make the move.
Maple Leafs’ Front Office Felt Highly on Stolarz
Entering the offseason, the Maple Leafs were looking to add a goalie to pair with Woll.
The Maple Leafs quickly signed Stolarz, and he was someone the front office and goalie department had targeted as they thought he could be a star goalie in the NHL.
“Our goaltending department this summer, the guy they felt really strongly about was Anthony,” Treliving said back in November to The Athletic. “Not only him as a goaltender but putting them both together. What you’re going to get is the aggregate… We felt there was a chance that combo could be good.”
Stolarz was the backup goalie for the Florida Panthers and won the Stanley Cup before signing with the Maple Leafs. It was the first time Stolarz was set to be a starting goalie in his career.
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