The Toronto Maple Leafs were blessed with great goaltending last season. Now, they find themselves in a bad situation. Joseph Woll is taking a leave of absence for personal reasons. The Maple Leafs released a statement on Tuesday, September 23, 2025, on the matter.
“The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that goaltender Joseph Woll has taken a leave of absence to attend to a family matter. No additional details will be provided at this time,” the statement reads. “And we ask that his privacy be respected.”
Heavy.com has proposed a trade idea that would ensure the Maple Leafs have a solid backup for Anthony Stolarz, allowing Woll to take all of the time that he needs.
Maple Leafs Acquire:
- Connor Ingram ($1.95 million)
Mammoth Acquire:
- Calle Jarnkrok ($2.1 million)
This would be a significant trade for both teams. The Utah Mammoth would acquire a forward who can serve anywhere in the lineup. The Maple Leafs get a goalie who can serve as a backup, or even push Stolarz into a 1A/1B timeshare.
The trade proposal sees the Maple Leafs acquire Connor Ingram, 28. The 6-foot-1, 218 lb goaltender was initially drafted by the Tampa Bay Lightning 88th overall in 2016. In 102 career games, he has a 3.14 goals against average (GAA), .902 save percentage (SV%), and seven shutouts.
The Mammoth receives forward Calle Jarnkrok, 33, in this trade scenario. The 6-foot, 191 lb forward was drafted 51st overall in 2010 by the Detroit Red Wings. In a season shortened by injury, he recorded seven points in 19 games while averaging 13:14 in ice time per game.
Maple Leafs Need to Cover Their Bases
GettyAnthony Stolarz
Stolarz is the clear starter for the Maple Leafs. With Woll on a leave of absence, there is a steep decline between those two and the next in line.
Dennis Hildeby signed an extension with the Maple Leafs this offseason. Now, he can prove that he’s worth way more than what that deal suggests.
The risk with playing Hildeby over acquiring a replacement is his track record. To date, he’s only played six NHL games. It’s tough to make a level-headed decision on such a small sample size.
The 6-foot-7 goaltender has played 41 and 30 AHL games over the last two seasons. Hildeby recorded a 2.41 & 2.55 GAA, as well as a .913 & .908 SV%, respectively. While these numbers are good, it’s concerning that his performance dropped in his most recent season.
Players often don’t develop in a straight line, and the fact that Hildeby is only 24 years old is great news for the Maple Leafs. However, they can’t hang their hats on an unproven talent. Nor can they ride Stolarz into the ground after he played only 34 games due to injury.
Maple Leafs Can Get Connor Ingram Before Everyone Else
Cole Bagley was the first to report that the Mammoth has the intention of putting Ingram on waivers. It’s a mutual decision that allows Ingram to pursue an opportunity and a fresh start elsewhere.
The Maple Leafs’ worst-case scenario would be waiting for him to hit the waiver wire. Thirty potential teams could claim him, which should push GM Brad Treliving to pull the trigger on a trade.
Admittedly, Ingram had a poor season last year. He recorded only nine wins in 22 games with Utah. Additionally, his 3.27 GAA and .882 SV% were nothing to write home about.
However, he put forth a strong campaign the season before. In 50 games played, he recorded 23 wins, a 2.91 GAA, a .907 SV%, and six shutouts.
If the Maple Leafs pursue Ingram now, they can jump the line and swipe up a solid goaltender. At worst, he can be a backup to fill in for Woll until he gets back. At best, they have a new goalie who replaces Woll, allowing them to send Woll out for an upgrade elsewhere.
Like Heavy Sports’s content? Be sure to follow us.
This article was originally published on Heavy Sports
The post Maple Leafs Add Joseph Woll Replacement With New Trade Pitch appeared first on Heavy Sports.