The goaltender had been practicing with the Maple Leafs and this loan will provide some clarity.
The goaltender had been practicing with the Maple Leafs and this loan will provide some clarity.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have assigned goaltender Joseph Woll to the Toronto Marlies for a conditioning stint, the team announced on Wednesday.
Just before the club took off to St. Louis on Sunday, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was asked if there was a roadmap for when the goaltender would return to action.
"As far as when we'll use Joseph, that's more so to him," Keefe said. "At this point, you're just kind of waiting for him to tell you where he's at and continue to build him up."
With Ilya Samsonov returning to form in 2024 after struggling hard during the first part of the season and Martin Jones returning from a minor injury last week, there certainly isn't any motivation to rush Woll along in his recovery. Keefe also pointed out that the nature of their four-game road trip has been mapped out to a point where there will be no practices for the goaltender to get into with his team.
"That makes it more challenging for a guy like him to get his reps and such."
Woll sustained a high-ankle sprain on Dec. 7 in a game against the Ottawa Senators. Before then, he had supplanted Samsonov as the team's go-to option in goal with an 8-5-1 record and a .916 save percentage. He continued to practice on Sunday with his foot heavily taped up.
Under conditions of a long-term injury conditioning loan, Woll can spend six days or three games (whichever comes later) with the Marlies and the Leafs can decide if the player is fit to return. The team can also put in a request to extend his stay by an additional two games.
When Woll returns, the Leafs will have some options in goal and have some pretty solid depth. But the question he'll have to overcome is if he's durable enough for the NHL? The club was hoping for him to take at least half of the NHL games this season and he'll be fortunate if he gets to 25. Having suffered injuries and setbacks before in his professional career, these are questions Woll will have to overcome.
Once Woll is activated, the Leafs do have to figure out how they will keep Jones, who would require waivers. Biding time to make sure there is roster space after the trade deadline would make the most sense. The 23-man roster limit is removed following the deadline.
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