Joseph Woll 'Close' But Not Ready To Return As Dennis Hildeby Gets Maple Leafs Start In Goal Against Blue Jackets, David Kampf a Healthy Scratch
Hildeby made 21 saves in his NHL debut earlier in the month against the New Jersey Devils.
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Joseph Woll's regular season debut will have to wait a little longer as Dennis Hildeby will start in goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs when they face the Columbus Blue Jackets at Nationwide Arena on Tuesday.
With the Leafs coming off back-to-back games, either Woll or Hildeby was expected to start after Anthony Stolarz led the team to a 5-2 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning on Monday.
Before Toronto's morning skate on Monday, Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube mentioned it was possible Woll could play on Tuesday. However, the goaltender has yet to appear this season after experiencing groin tightness, which sidelined him from his anticipated season opener start against the Montreal Canadiens on Oct. 9.
Hildeby, who was called up to back up Stolarz for that game, made his NHL debut the following night, stopping 21 shots in a 4-2 win against the New Jersey Devils.
"He's handled this well right from camp," Berube said of Hildeby. "He's got great composure. Seeing him work every day and how he prepares himself, he's a pretty dialed-in guy. He's done a good job."
Stolarz will back up Hildeby, as the Leafs are at the roster limit of 23 players. Woll will be placed on injured reserve to make room for Hildeby's call-up.
David Kampf Scratched for the first time this season
Ryan Reaves will return to the lineup, while David Kampf will sit out as a healthy scratch. Kämpf, who has been part of a rotation among the bottom-six forwards, will miss his first game this season.
"Got a rested guy, and I want to play him tonight," Berube said of the decision.
Kampf was a healthy scratch for just one game last season and missed three other games in 2023-24 due to injury.
Related
News from THN.com