Toronto Maple Leafs Extend Joseph Woll’s Contract
On Monday, the Toronto Maple Leafs re-signed their backup goalie, Joseph Woll, to a contract extension. This move follows last week’s unsuccessful attempt to trade for Jacob Markstrom.
Despite the expectation that the Leafs might still trade for a goalie, they have committed to Woll, who has the potential to become a starter. According to Kevin Weeks, Woll’s new deal is a three-year extension.
A Strategic Move for the Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are in dire need of a reliable goalie, a problem that undermined their previous season due to the general manager’s failure to upgrade the position before the trade deadline. The team chose to stick with Samsonov over Woll, despite Woll’s potential.
Woll, though promising, is essentially still a rookie, having appeared in just 39 career games. Over the past five years, across both NHL and AHL, he has struggled with injuries and limited playing time due to Covid, playing barely a full season.
The Leafs’ reliance on Woll as a starting goalie is risky, especially during Auston Matthews’ prime years. This makes the extension, reportedly worth about $3.5 million over three years starting after the upcoming season, somewhat surprising.
Potential Scenarios and Risks
If the Leafs succeed in trading for a goalie like Juuse Saros or Jacob Markstrom, which they attempted last week, their investment in goalies would significantly impact their salary cap.
This extension might be a contingency plan, assuming they pivot from trading for a top-tier goalie. If this is the case, it could be seen as a strategic move. Should they acquire a better goalie, Woll’s contract would be tradable after the next season.
The deal could be highly beneficial if Woll steps up as the Leafs’ starter and performs well, making his cap hit extremely affordable for the subsequent three years. Alternatively, the contract remains tradable, presenting a low-risk, high-reward scenario.
Conclusion
If the Leafs still manage to secure a top 10 starting goalie, this signing appears advantageous. However, if they plan to rely solely on Woll and perhaps a lower-tier free agent like Laurent Brossoit, it would be a questionable strategy.
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