Dennis Hildeby’s recent performances should give the Leafs the luxury of patience as they weigh their options about Joseph Woll's return to the lineup
Joseph Woll skated for approximately 30 minutes before the Toronto Maple Leafs took the ice for practice on Wednesday. This marked the goaltender's first time on the ice since suffering an apparent leg injury during the second intermission of the club’s 5-1 victory over the Carolina Hurricanes on Dec. 4.
“He felt good today, talking to him after he came off,” said Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube. “So, like I said, it's probably a week from what I told you.”
The Leafs placed Woll on injured reserve retroactive to his last game. Consequently, the first game he is eligible to play is Dec. 13 at home against the Edmonton Oilers.
The team plans to exercise caution to ensure Woll is 100 percent healthy before he returns. Given Dennis Hildeby's strong performance in the absence of both Woll and Anthony Stolarz—who remains out with a mysterious upper-body injury—there is certainly no rush.
If Woll is to play Saturday, he would likely need to participate in a full practice, which is scheduled for Friday. Woll currently holds a 4-3-1 record this season with a .928 save percentage, having missed the first month of the season for personal reasons.
Meanwhile, Hildeby has played in nine games this season, posting a 2-2-2 record with a .936 save percentage. He is fresh off his first NHL shutout, a 2-0 victory against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday.
The Leafs’ upcoming schedule is balanced, featuring no back-to-back games until Dec. 20 and 21 on the road against the Dallas Stars and Nashville Predators, respectively. While that might be a safer target date for Woll, if he feels ready and completes a full practice on Friday, a Saturday return could make sense.
When the Leafs do bring Woll back, they should avoid the heavy workload he carried previously, when he started eight games in 19 days. With Hildeby performing well, the team should treat the situation as a true tandem until Stolarz is able to return—a prospect that seems distant, as he has yet to hit the ice.
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