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Anthony Stolarz signs 4-year extension with Maple Leafs

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    Kristen ShiltonSep 28, 2025, 02:52 PM ET

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      Kristen Shilton is a national NHL reporter for ESPN.

The Toronto Maple Leafs signed goaltender Anthony Stolarz to a four-year, $15 million contract extension, the team said Sunday.

Stolarz is entering the final season of a two-year pact he signed with the Maple Leafs as a free agent ahead of the 2024-25 campaign. This new deal cements his status as the team’s No. 1 goaltender going forward and completes a priority negotiation for the club.

The extension comes after Toronto announced earlier this month that goaltender Joseph Woll was taking an indefinite leave of absence from the team for personal reasons. Woll split duties with Stolarz last season and is signed with the Maple Leafs through 2027-28.

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Stolarz arrived in Toronto after backing up Sergei Bobrovsky on the Florida Panthers’ 2023-24 Stanley Cup run, when he led the league with a .927 save percentage in 27 regular-season games. He played a career-high 34 games for the Maple Leafs last season, going 21-8-3 with a league-leading .926 save percentage and a 2.14 goals-against average.

Stolarz was sidelined by significant injuries, too, missing time in the regular season following knee surgery and then being forced out of playoff action with a concussion sustained in Toronto’s second-round series against Florida.

The 31-year-old did backstop the Maple Leafs to their first-round victory over Ottawa, recording a .901 save percentage and a 2.19 GAA in seven total appearances.

Toronto now is counting on Stolarz not only to stay healthy this season but to take on even more responsibility.

“He showed us last year that he can handle the load,” Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube said last week. “He’s a veteran guy now. He’s been around for a long time. He’s learned over the years how to take care of his body and what type of shape he needs to be in to be able to handle a heavier workload, and he wants a heavier workload.”

With Woll sidelined, the Maple Leafs attempted to find a backup for Stolarz by signing veteran James Reimer to a professional tryout Friday. Reimer was a fourth-round selection by Toronto in the 2006 NHL draft and spent six seasons playing for the team. Now, the 37-year-old is on track to potentially earn a contract to be the club’s No. 2 until Woll can return.

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Maple Leafs agree to four-year contract extension with goalie Anthony Stolarz

Neither the player (who has never wielded so much leverage) nor the team (who is suddenly desperate for some goaltending stability) wanted extension talks to drag into the 2025-26 season, after which Stolarz would have become an unrestricted free agent.

So, after weeks of negotiations, Stolarz and general manager Brad Treliving came to an agreement on a four-year, $15-million extension that will keep the giant goaltender in blue and white through 2029-30 at a team-friendly $3.75-million cap hit.Â

“Just getting a fair deal for both sides,†Stolarz told Sportsnet at the outset of training camp, was the priority here.

The Maple Leafs are doubling the term of Storlazâ€s previous contract while giving him a modest $1.25 million raise. The risk here is that a 31-year-old goaltender with a shaky health record who has never started half the games in a single season can carry a starterâ€s workload.

The risk on Stolarzâ€s part is settling for a figure lower than he would be able to command on the open market should he deliver another campaign similar to 2024-25, when he posted the best save percentage in the NHL (.926).

Neither side wanted to mess up a good thing.

The team loves the goalie who backstopped them to a Round 1 victory over Ottawa, complete with a forearm shiver; the goalie loves the team that gave him runway and shot blocks and top-notch medical care.

“I thought it was a huge success,†Stolarz said, reflecting on his first season as a Leaf. “For me personally, just being able to play (a career-high 34) games and get the role as 1A/1B and play stretches of games and to play as well as I did.

“The most impressive thing for me was my consistency, just being going out there, night in and night out, and taking a lot of pride and really giving the team a chance to win.â€

Off the ice, the confident and vocal Stolarz fast became a favourite of his teammates as well as Torontoâ€s coaching staff and management.

“I want him to stay as long as I stay. Everybody does. Heâ€s a great goaltender, and I wish nothing for the best for him,†forward Steven Lorentz said a couple days before Sundayâ€s news.

“He truly wants to stay here as well. Heâ€s a great friend of mine. I know heâ€s going to make the right decision.â€

“Heâ€s one of the best goalies in the league, and he showed it last year,†fellow Stanley Cup champ Oliver Ekman-Larsson said recently. “Itâ€s a really good fit for this organization, this city.

“That would mean a lot to lock him up. He’s been proving that he can be a good goalie in this league, and I think he’s gonna take that to the next level this year.â€

Stolarz is expected to start Torontoâ€s opener next week against the Montreal Canadiens.

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Maple Leafs Camp Notebook: Anthony Stolarz aims for most starts yet

TORONTO — Last time Anthony Stolarz suited up for a game in this barn, an opponent flew by his crease and delivered a headshot.

On Saturday night, the same thing happened.

When Laval Rocket star Laurent Dauphin drove to the paint and snapped Stolarzâ€s neck back — earning a goalie interference penalty and a stern talking-to from Oliver Ekman-Larsson for his recklessness — Leafs fans gasped.

Stolarz shook off the contact quickly.

“Itâ€s something you kinda get used to,†Stolarz downplayed. “As a goalie, you know how to brace yourself and what to expect. So, heâ€s just driving the net trying to make a hard play. He runs into me, and we get a power play out of it.â€

All good. No need to panic.

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“Itâ€s always a risky play. The whole preseason, youâ€re always worried about something happening to somebody, right?†coach Craig Berube said.

“Yeah, thatâ€s obviously concerning. But he was good. He was fine, and he was moving well tonight in net.â€

With Joseph Woll already sidelined indefinitely, the knock to Torontoâ€s No. 1 goaltender was a reminder of how desperately the Leafs are depending on the big man to stay healthy.

To that end, Stolarz is welcoming a hefty workload in 2025-26.

The career-high 34 games played last season? He aims to raise the bar again.

“First and foremost, you want to play more games than you did last year,†Stolarz said, prior to logging two periods of work in Saturdayâ€s lacklustre 4-2 exhibition loss at home to Montreal.

“Iâ€ve been working with the medical staff, coming in and strengthening my lower body, my upper body, just trying to keep those minor tweaks away.

“I worked a lot this summer with my trainer and my goalie coach as well, just working on things to stay healthy.â€

The 31-year-oldâ€s complicated relationship with availability has factored in his agentâ€s ongoing contract negotiations with the Maple Leafs.

Both sides are hopeful theyâ€ll hammer a deal prior to opening night.

“He calls me probably every two or three days to just give me an update,†Stolarz said. “But I let him take care of it. Heâ€s negotiated thousands of contracts. Iâ€m just focused on getting ready for the start of the season, get a few games in here, and looking forward to that opener.

“Thatâ€s kind of why we give them the big bucks to do that. My job is to focus on playing.â€

A combination of Stolarzâ€s knee injuries and his playing behind a more proven No. 1 have limited his workload in seasons past, but heâ€s hoping to follow in the footsteps of fellow American netminders Tim Thomas and Ben Bishop, who became Cup-contending starters late in their careers.

“Itâ€s nice to have guys that you can look up to, guys that may peak later and can offer inspiration for guys who have similar trajectories as me,†Stolarz said.

“Whether you get hurt or whether you just havenâ€t been put in the right opportunity, you just keep working and good things will happen.â€

What will the world learn about the enigma wrapped in designer that is William Nylander now that he has launched his own YouTube channel?

“I donâ€t really know,†Rielly said, wryly. “I donâ€t think a whole lot, but weâ€ll see.â€

Well, we watched Episode 1, “Summer in Sweden,†which dropped Friday night.

And weâ€re not certain we learned a whole lot, but the 10-minute highlight reel does give diehards (28,500 subscribers and counting) a behind-the-scenes glimpse into the superstarâ€s off-ice life — and his expensive wardrobe.

“I just thought it would be a fun thing to do and give fans an insight to my life away from the rink,†explained Nylander, who is also featured in both season of Prime Videoâ€s FaceOff: Inside the NHL. “Hopefully some fun stuff in there.â€

Nylanderâ€s documentary endeavour, produced with help from his family, has been subject to dressing-room chatter.

“I heard rumblings,†Stolarz said. “I guess Iâ€ll have to hop on YouTube and take a peek at that and see what Willyâ€s been up to.â€

Stolarz might need that new contract to afford what Willyâ€s been up to.

First stop the Hall, next stop the NHL

Easton Cowan has yet to make the NHL (although that is starting to feel imminent), and heâ€s already in the Hockey Hall of Fame.

The Leafs†top prospect didnâ€t know that his game-worn sweater from the London Knights Memorial Cup championship is on display downtown as part of the Hallâ€s “Road to the Top†showcase.

“One of my buddies was in Toronto and sent me a picture,†Cowan smiled. “I was like, ‘Oh, thatâ€s pretty cool. Iâ€ll take it.†â€

Cowan popped in to see the display this week.

“Definitely special to see,†the Memorial Cup MVP said. “Just brought back a lot of memories I had in London.â€

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Baseball

Toronto Blue Jays activate Anthony Santander, cut Alek Manoah

Sep 23, 2025, 08:02 PM ET

TORONTO — The Toronto Blue Jays activated slugger Anthony Santander off the 60-day injured list Tuesday, and former All-Star right-hander and 2022 AL Cy Young finalist Alek Manoah was designated for assignment to make room on the 40-man roster.

Toronto put first baseman Ty France on the 10-day injured list, retroactive to Monday, because of left oblique inflammation.

Santander signed a $92.5 million, five-year contract with Toronto in the offseason but is batting .179 with six homers in 50 games. He’s been out since May 29 because of a left shoulder injury, and he rejoins the playoff-bound Blue Jays for the final week of the regular season as they try to wrap up the AL East title. Toronto had the best record in the American League at 90-66 entering Tuesday night’s game against Boston.

Santander set career highs with 44 homers, 102 RBIs and 91 runs scored in 155 games for Baltimore last year and made the AL All-Star team for the first time. He was not in the lineup against the Red Sox.

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Manoah had been pitching at Triple-A Buffalo, rehabbing a 2024 surgery on his elbow. He went 1-1 with a 2.97 ERA in seven starts for the Bisons. Six of the 27 hits he allowed were home runs.

After going 9-2 as a rookie in 2021, Manoah went 16-7 with a 2.24 ERA in 2022, finishing third in AL Cy Young voting.

Toronto’s opening day starter in 2023, Manoah was demoted to the rookie-level Florida Complex League that June after going 1-7 with a 6.36 ERA. Manoah went 2-2 with a 4.91 ERA in seven starts after rejoining the big league roster in July, then didn’t pitch again at any level after being optioned to Triple-A in August.

Last year, Manoah went 1-2 with a 3.70 ERA over five starts spanning 24 1/3 innings before season-ending surgery.

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