Maple Leafs Goaltender Anthony Stolarz Gets Assignment Against Oilers Over Sergei Bobrovsky, Dakota Mermis Draws In

EDMONTON — Anthony Stolarz will get the nod in goal for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night, with Sergei Bobrovsky backing up in what coach Jim Hiller described as simply “just a decision.”

Hiller, speaking during the pre-game media availability at Rogers Place, emphasized the strength of the tandem rather than any predetermined rotation for how the club has mapped out its goaltending.

“A lot of belief in both those two goaltenders, and I’m glad we have them as a tandem,” he said. The choice continues a season in which the Leafs have leaned on both netminders through the first dozen games.

Stolarz enters with a 3-1-0 record, 2.99 goals-against average and .898 save percentage in four starts. His most recent outing came Tuesday in Columbus, where he stopped 36 of 38 shots in a 6-2 win. Bobrovsky is 3-3-2 with a 3.10 GAA and .895 save percentage in eight appearances, including a 21-save effort in Thursday’s 5-4 victory over the Rangers.

Historically, Bobrovsky has fared better against Edmonton, carrying a career regular-season mark of 14-7-0 with a roughly .900 save percentage and 2.85 goals-against average. Stolarz’s career numbers versus the Oilers sit at 2-2-0 with a 3.03 GAA and .906 save percentage across five games; he also appeared in six contests for Edmonton during the 2018-19 season (0-2-0, 3.77 GAA, .897 SV%).

There is also Bobrovsky’s Stanley Cup mastery over the Oilers, having beaten Edmonton in the 2024 and 2025 Finals.

On defence, Dakota Mermis will make his season debut after being recalled from the Toronto Marlies on Friday. The 32-year-old left-shot blueliner, who helped the Marlies capture the Calder Cup last spring, played 11 games for the Leafs in 2025-26, scoring one goal. In 89 career NHL games across five organizations he has five goals and nine assists. He is expected to slot alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson as the Leafs navigate injuries to Chris Tanev (upper-body), Nick Blankenburg (upper-body) and Marshall Rifai (lower-body).

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