Stolarz has missed Toronto's last 33 games due to a nerve issue suffered on Nov. 11 against the Bruins.
The Toronto Maple Leafs will have a familiar face leading them onto the ice on Friday night for a matchup against the Vegas Golden Knights.
Anthony Stolarz, who's been out for the last (almost) two-and-a-half months with a "nerve issue," will return to the lineup against Mitch Marner and the Golden Knights. It'll be Stolarz's first start for Toronto since Nov. 11, when he picked up the injury against the Boston Bruins.
The 32-year-old had been with the AHL's Toronto Marlies on a conditioning loan since Tuesday. The Maple Leafs wanted him to get a few practices in before getting into game action, against what we now know is Vegas.
"It's a huge boost," said head coach Craig Berube Friday morning when discussing Stolarz's return to the lineup.
"He's been working hard and he's ready to go. We got to get him in there at some point, so he's good to go, and we're very happy he's back."
There have been reports that, once Stolarz returns, Dennis Hildeby will be sent to the Marlies, given he's waivers-exempt this year. When asked on Friday about that, Berube didn't have much of an answer.
"That's a (Brad Treliving) question," he said. "We'll see what he wants to do. We'll get through tonight and worry about it after that."
Hildeby and Joseph Woll have held down the fort for the Maple Leafs ever since Stolarz went down. The two netminders have combined for 33 starts with Toronto; Woll has 11 wins and a .912 save percentage in 21 games; Hildeby has five wins and a .912 save percentage in 17 games (12 of which have been starts).
Before suffering the nerve injury, Stolarz had an .884 save percentage and six wins through the first 13 games of the year. Stolarz started in 13 of Toronto's first 17 games of the year while Woll was away on a personal leave.
"Going back to last year, what (Stolarz) did for us, and even at the beginning of this year before all this went down, I mean, he's a huge part of this team," Berube continued.
"That goaltending tandem (Woll and Stolarz) is very good. It's a huge boost for the team, and it's great for him, getting back, and he's excited."