Joseph Woll Takes Huge Steps Towards Return
Joseph Woll is headed to the Toronto Marlies on a conditioning stint.
It has been two and a half months since the Toronto Maple Leafs lost their rookie goaltender Joseph Woll to an ankle injury.
It was expected coming into the season that the starting goalie role for the Toronto Maple Leafs would have been Ilya Samsonov, however, rookie Woll had taken that role over up until his injury against the Ottawa Senators on December 7.
Wednesday morning, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced that Woll would be assigned to the Toronto Marlies on a conditioning stint.
Woll recently returned to Maple Leafs practice, however he had yet to return to any type of game action whether as the starter or the back-up. His conditioning stint now shows he is getting closer to returning to the net for the big club.
Joseph Woll Takes Huge Steps Towards Return
The Marlies have back-to-back games this upcoming weekend in Laval which comes this Friday and Saturday nights against the Rockets; and you would have to assume Woll will take the net in one of those games.
Prior to his injury, Woll had started 13 games for the Maple Leafs while coming in relief twice posting an 8-5-1 record with a 2.80 GAA and .916 save percentage (stats from hockey-reference.com).
Since being drafted in the third round of the 2016 NHL Entry Draft Woll has always been the Maple Leafs top goalie prospect, however he has battled injuries every season of his professional career, playing more than 20 games just twice (2019-20 and 2022-23) with 32 games being his maximum in his rookie season with the Marlies.
When healthy he has proven to be an NHL caliber goalie posting a career 24-17-7 reocrd with a 2.62 GAA and a .919 save percentage, but staying off the injured list is going to be his true test.
Samsonov and Jones Haven’t Given Fans Confidence.
Since Woll went down, Samsonov was handed back the starting goalie spot, unfortunately lost it after losing four of five games while surrendering 20 goals on 122 shots (.828 save percentage).
The former first round pick of the Washington Capitals was placed on waivers, went unclaimed and spent some time away from the team before returning. Since rejoining the team, Samsonov has posted a 7-2-0 record with a 2.10 GAA and .916 save percentage.
Jones had the opposite run with the team as he took off while Samsonov struggled posting a 5-2-0 record 1.29 GAA and .953 save percentage in the seven starts after the Woll injury. The former Sharks and Kings goalie play has dropped off since then as he has posted a 2-4-1 record with a 3.78 GAA and .865 save percentage in his last seven games, while starting just two games since January 21.
The big impact for the Maple Leafs with Woll getting closer to a return is it pushes Jones down the depth charts.
Morgan Rielly’s five-game suspension upheld: Gary Bettman explains why he rejected Maple Leafs star’s appeal.
Rielly was suspended five games for cross-checking Senators forward Ridly Greig following an empty net goal on Feb. 10
Earlier this month, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman delivered a cross-check to the head of Ottawa Senators Ridly Greig after Greig scored an open-net goal via a slap shot on Feb. 10. NHL commissioner Gary Bettman listened to Rielly’s appeal last Friday, and has announced the Maple Leafs defenseman’s suspension is being upheld.
Bettman revealed his decision in an 11-page ruling, writing that even though “the game was effectively over, Mr. Rielly changed his course and skated toward Mr. Greig with purpose.” The NHL commissioner also believed Rielly raced over to raise his stick and intentionally struck Greig’s head with a large amount of force.
The NHL Players Association filed the appeal on behalf of Rielly, and it made the case that Rielly didn’t intentionally cross-check Greig in the head. Instead, the NHLPA argued Rielly meant to strike Grieg’s body.
The NHLPA also made the argument that a five-game suspension was very excessive compared to similar scenarios in the past. However, Bettman stated there isn’t an exact science when it comes to deciding the appropriate discipline for certain plays.
Bettman believes Rielly raised his stick in coordination with Greig’s head, and “drove it forcefully and intentionally” into Greig.
“This is not a case where Mr. Rielly’s stick was delivered to the midsection or shoulder and ‘rode up’ to Mr. Greig’s head,” Bettman added.
According to the ruling, Bettman believed Rielly and Greig weren’t going toe-to-toe, and this wasn’t an inadvertent high-sticking play.
“Rather, as Mr. Rielly himself acknowledged, he sought retribution for what he perceived to be a ‘disrespectful’ act that he believed was intended to embarrass Toronto,” Bettman wrote in his ruling. “Although much of the testimony offered by [Rielly, Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving and team president Brendan Shanahan] at the hearing concerned whether Mr. Greig’s slapshot was provocative, that discussion is utterly irrelevant.”
Rielly served the final game of his five-game suspension when the Maple Leafs faced the Arizona Coyotes on Wednesday. The Toronto defenseman is now eligible to return to the lineup Thursday against the Vegas Golden Knights.
