The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that goaltender Anthony Stolarz will miss 4–6 weeks after he undergoes a procedure to remove a loose bone in his knee.
Stolarz left the game against the Anaheim Ducks after the first period with a lower body injury. The thought was that he was going to be day-to-day and could return as early as this weekend. However, an MRI showed something else that needed to be addressed.
The Maple Leafs’ GM, Brad Treliving, informed the media today that the MRI came back negative for any structural damage after Stolarz left the game on Dec. 12. But it did reveal that he had a loose bone the size of a “little pebble” that needed to be removed, which is why he will undergo the procedure. The Maple Leafs placed him on the injury reserve (IR) retroactive to Dec. 12, and he will remain out until he is fully healed from the operation.
This is bittersweet for the Maple Leafs organization. On one hand, Stolarz has been lights out for the club and earned the starting job. There is a chance that when he returns, he may not be playing at the same level. However, on the other hand, Toronto has had elite goaltending the entire year from Joseph Woll. Which makes this the perfect time for Stolarz to get the procedure done rather than down the stretch.
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Through 17 games this year, he has a record of 9-5-2 and owns a 2.15 goals-against average and a save percentage of .927. The 30-year-old will look to return to form when he returns to the lineup, sometime around the middle to end of January.
