The recent three-year extension signed by Chicago Blackhawks’ Spencer Knight is sending ripples across the NHL goalie market—and Toronto Maple Leafs’ Anthony Stolarz is one player likely taking notice.
Elliotte Friedman explained on his latest 32 Thoughts podcast that the deal, which strategically positions Knight to hit unrestricted free agency with maximum leverage, highlights a growing trend of goalies betting on themselves to secure bigger contracts in a few years.
How Does This Knight Deal Impact Anthony Stolarz?
For Stolarz, who has emerged as a 1A option in Toronto’s tandem, the Knight extension provides a clear benchmark. It signals that goaltenders with proven NHL experience can leverage timing and the supply and demand in free agency to elevate their market value, even in a limited UFA window.
Friedman notes:
“There were reports last week about Toronto talking to Stolarz. That will be an interesting one too because, at the very least, Stolarz has established himself as, what do you want to call him, 1, a 1A?.. at the lowest end, he’s established himself as a 1A. At the low end. So, what’s that worth?’
Toronto has Woll making $3.67 million per season for the next three years. They’ve essentially committed to him being a guy they want to test out as the starter moving forward. At the same time, there is some uncertainty there, and injury concerns are a potential hurdle to a much bigger deal. Friedman argued that Knights’ number has to get Stolarz saying, “I’m not far from that. I kind of wonder if that sets Toronto’s market too.”
Does This Create a Dilemma for the Maple Leafs?
Kyle Bukauskas argued that the Leafs might have to look at Joseph Woll and determine how comfortable they are leaning on him as the key part of the tandem. If Stolarz gets the feeling the Leafs aren’t sold on Woll, how far is he willing to push on his deal? He did say that he just wants to be paid fair value in a recent podcast. Perhaps it’s not a huge factor.
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League insiders like Friedman suggest that teams are already considering how Knight’s deal might influence upcoming negotiations with younger or tandem goalies, including Stolarz. Toronto may now have to weigh carefully how much they’re willing to invest to retain their promising netminder. They’ll also need to be cautious about letting him sign a short-term deal, knowing that with fewer options on the market in a couple of seasons, players like Stolarz could be worth far more than in any typical summer.
While Knight’s contract reflects a calculated risk on potential future market growth, it begs the question: is Stolarz thinking along similar lines? Perhaps he’ll accept a shorter-term, smaller deal now, and bet on himself to secure a higher-value contract when the timing is right.
Friedman said, “Toronto’s got some interesting decisions to make over the next few weeks.” Not only is their Stolarz situation something that needs to be addressed this season, but the Leafs have a lot of forwards, and someone needs to go.
