Maple Leafs Hope Anthony Stolarz’s Win Over Islanders Springboards a Bounce-Back Campaign

The 2025-26 season was one to forget for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Injuries plagued the team, issues surfaced in every facet of their system, and for the first time in a decade, they missed the playoffs. They eventually won the 2026 NHL Draft Lottery and then picked Gavin McKenna first overall. For Anthony Stolarz, it was a season he wants to flush and focus on the 2026-27 campaign. After helping the Maple Leafs win their first game of the 84-game slate on Wednesday night (Sept. 30), could it be the springboard to a bounce-back season for the 32-year-old?

Starting the 2026-27 Season on the Right Foot

After dropping game one of the season on Tuesday night (Sept. 29), the Maple Leafs played their second game of a back-to-back against the New York Islanders on Wednesday at Scotiabank Arena. In his first start of the season, Stolarz stole the show, making 26 of 27 saves, finishing with a .963 save percentage (SV%) and a 1.03 goals-against average (GAA).

Stolarz held onto a shutout until an Emil Heineman shorthanded goal in the third period erased it. Through the first two periods, the Edison, New Jersey native stopped 19 shots, giving the Islanders no chances to claw back into the game. In the end, Stolarz picked up his first win of the season, giving the Maple Leafs their first win as well.

It was a much-needed win for him as he finished the 2025-26 season with a 10-10-3 record, an .893 SV%, and a 3.28 GAA in 26 games. Last season was a down one for Stolarz, especially after finishing 2024-25 with a 21-8-3 record, a .926 SV%, a 2.14 GAA, and four shutouts in 34 games. He followed up the regular season with a 2.19 GAA, a .901 SV%, and a 4-2-0 record in seven playoff games.

Following the win over the Islanders, Stolarz commented when asked about the Maple Leafs’ offseason roster overhaul, “It’s a vote of confidence to me. You look at the turnover, and they want to keep me around. And for me, it’s exciting. I want to be here. I want to play here, and you want to win hockey games.”

Before the start of the 2025-26 season, the Maple Leafs gave the netminder a four-year extension, keeping him in Toronto through 2029-30. The deal will see Stolarz make $3.75 million annually. He will be an unrestricted free agent (UFA) after that season. That speaks to his character, as the Maple Leafs signed him to an extension in Sept. 2025 and kept him after general manager John Chayka overhauled the roster.

The hope is that the win over the Islanders can be the springboard for Stolarz and the Maple Leafs heading into 2026-27. For both sides, the pressure remains to make the playoffs once again after missing last season and make a deep postseason run. Even with the addition of Sergei Bobrovsky, the Maple Leafs will look to Stolarz to be the solid 1B to bring stability to the crease.

While it’s only game two of an 84-game season, any positive results will go a long way in another NHL marathon. For Stolarz, it’s about getting back to the goalie he was in 2024-25: winning 21 games with a sub-2.20 GAA and a SV% above .920. If he can return to those results, it’ll not only help him but the Maple Leafs as well. It’ll be interesting to see how the 2026-27 season plays out, especially with a roster that got a massive facelift over the offseason.