There isn’t any doubt that the race for the Calder Trophy this season is going to be an exciting one. With Chicago Blackhawks forward Connor Bedard leading the way, there are plenty of other names that are standing out. New Jersey Devils defenseman Luke Hughes, Arizona Coyotes centre Logan Cooley and Minnesota Wild centre Marco Rossi are all standing out in a big way early on.
While the Maple Leafs have rookie forward Matthew Knies who is playing well, they now have another rookie who is starting to overshadow him and gain more attention. That player, is Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll.
Starting the season as the backup behind Ilya Samsonov, Woll has taken advantage of Samsonov’s struggles and is slowly starting to run away with the starter role. As a result, with his strong play to start the season, Woll is definitely emerging as a rookie to watch. While he may not win the award considering how deep of a class it is, he’s definitely throwing his name into the race.
Woll’s Numbers Compared to Past Winners
For rookie goaltenders, it’s very difficult to come out on top and win the Calder Trophy. Since the award was introduced back in 1932-33, only 16 goaltenders have won the award– four of which have won it since 2000-01. Here’s a breakdown of where Woll stands in regards to some of the most recent winners who were goaltenders.
| Player | Season | Record | GAA | Saves | SV% |
| Evgeny Nabokov | 2000-01 | 32-21-7 | 2.19 | 1,447 | .915 |
| Andrew Raycroft | 2003-04 | 29-18-9 | 2.05 | 1,469 | .926 |
| Steve Mason | 2008-09 | 33-20-7 | 2.29 | 1,518 | .916 |
| Joseph Woll | 2023-24 | 8-5-1 | 2.80 | 490 | .916 |
While the record for Woll is still to be determined, if he continues to solidify his spot as the starter for the Maple Leafs he could easily reach the 20-win mark. The main thing that stands out with some of the previous winners, is that Woll is right there in save percentage, as all four have a .915 or better. While his goals against average is a little high considering how poor the Maple Leafs have been defensively this season, he has done a good job to keep it under 3.00. In fact, his numbers are similar to Edmonton Oilers goaltender Stuart Skinner when he finished second in rookie voting last season. Woll does have a better SV%– where Skinner had a .914, but Skinner had a slightly better 2.75 GAA.
Compared to goaltenders who have played a minimum of 300 min. this season, Woll has a SV% of .916 at all strengths, ranking him 16th. While he has minimal NHL experience, he’s outperforming other well-known starters like Ilya Sorokin, Connor Hellebuyck and Jake Oettinger. His goals saved above average has him in the top-10 with 6.19 and his .841 high danger save percentage has him 12th overall. Those are some impressive numbers to put up as a rookie and to keep up with some of the other top goaltenders in the league.
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If the team improves defensively, Woll’s numbers could be even better as the season progresses and make his job easier. Considering how he was put into a spot where Samsonov hasn’t lived up to expectations, Woll has done a fantastic job of running away with the starter role. He has become more reliable than Samsonov and you know what you’re going to get each game with his approach and calm style in the crease.
Game vs. Senators is Exhibit A
There have been plenty of examples where Woll showcased his dominance in the crease and coming through for his team. The poise and composure that he possesses is something that has been missing with other goaltenders the Maple Leafs have had in the past.
There was the split save Woll made against Jason Robertson when they played the Dallas Stars. He was remarkable when he stole a game for the Maple Leafs against the Seattle Kraken when pressure was mounting in overtime. However, his play against the Ottawa Senators surpassed that as he was constantly making numerous big time saves when the team in front of him fell apart.
Whether it was on Vladimir Tarasenko or Mathieu Joseph, Woll was pulling out all the stops, making a number of highlight reel saves to keep his team in a game where they were being heavily outplayed. Here’s a clip of his second save on Tarasenko.
Woll’s anticipation, lateral movement and extension of his glove hand is what stands out not just on this save, but his first one on Tarasenko as well. Woll was in full desperation mode, but he manages to get over quick enough and get his glove hand out to rob Tarasenko of a for sure goal. His play in that game alone should definitely put him on the map as a potential finalist as a rookie.
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Woll has already made a number of highlight reel saves this season. But in this game, he was dialled in and on another level.
Woll Could Continue Pace
Based on his play early on this season and stringing together starts consistently, it seems like Woll is the go-to guy in net for the Maple Leafs. While there’s the possibility of moving Samsonov based on his success, that might change.
Despite being the reason why the Maple Leafs would eventually secure the victory against the Senators, Woll might miss some time as he left the game with an apparent leg injury. At the moment, we don’t know the severity, but he did need help getting off the ice which always isn’t a good sign. This is concerning for the team, considering how important of a role he’s taking on now and has been the reason why they have won games, even when they shouldn’t have.
Depending on how long he’s out for– be it for weeks or longer– if Woll is able to return in a reasonable amount of time, there isn’t any reason to suggest that he can still play at a high level and maintain the pace that he was on before the injury. He has played extremely well to this point, as his presence and ability to track the puck alone is what makes him successful in the crease and a reason why he’s starting to become a top goaltender in this league.
The injury for Woll is a setback, but for what he’s done to this point, he deserves more attention for the Calder Trophy.
Statistics from Natural Stat Trick and Hockey Reference.