In today’s NHL rumour rundown, we look at Joseph Woll and his return to the ice, as well as what else is going on with the Toronto Maple Leafs’ goaltending. Sticking with Toronto, they also lost a key player from the lineup again, with an update from head coach Craig Berube. Finally, we look at Matvei Michkov‘s statement after scoring against the Ottawa Senators and the controversy behind that one.
Woll Returns to Crease, Plays for Marlies
Woll had gone back to a familiar jersey for his game on Nov. 8. After over 80 games with the Toronto Marlies in the American Hockey League (AHL), Woll is hoping last night will be his last one ever, but this one was just on a conditioning stint, allowing him to warm up after missing so much time.
Of course, with Woll, he had missed the first month of the season as he had taken a leave. He had a great comeback presser with the media, giving thanks and asking that people continue to respect his privacy.
According to Elliotte Friedman on Saturday Headlines, Woll was supposed to play roughly 30 minutes, and ended up being pulled after three goals and about 37 minutes instead. The pulling was not performance-based, but with the Maple Leafs heading into the second game of a back-to-back today, Nov. 9, he is expected to be with the Maple Leafs, but not playing.
Anthony Stolarz started the first of two games, but was pulled after the Boston Bruins scored their fourth goal, and was replaced by Dennis Hildeby. All three goalies on the Maple Leafs’ roster played half a game last night, so the decision on the Nov. 9 starter isn’t obvious.
Friedman speculated that the reason Stolarz was pulled wasn’t strictly performance-based. He thinks that while that was a factor, the Leafs wanted to get him out so that he could get some more time to rest and to be ready to start the second game.
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Stolarz has struggled, and with a new four-year extension signed, the Maple Leafs and the fans are eager to see some strong performances strung together for their starting goaltender.
Laughton Leaves Game vs. Bruins, Won’t Play vs. Hurricanes
Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov is really good at a lot of things, and hitting is one of them. He runs players over like a freight train, and last night, Laughton was no exception. Zadorov met Laughton along the boards as he approached the blue line and flattened him. There was no call on the play, and it appears to be a clean, hard hit with an unfortunate outcome.
Laughton, who missed the first 13 games of the season, was playing in just his second game of the season.
Berube offered an update after the game, stating that the forward was going to miss at least the next game, and there is no timeline to provide outside of that.
With a hit that big, odds are good that a concussion could be a part of the injury, but it was a bruising hit, and could be anything.
Michkov’s Poor Offseason
With just one goal and six points through the first 13 games of the season, there has been a ton of talk about Michkov and whether he and head coach Rick Tocchet can function on the same team.
Against the Nashville Predators, Michkov was able to score his second goal of the season, and followed that up with his third against the Senators. After the game against the Senators, Kevin Kurz of The Athletic shared that Michkov took four months off in the summer, and that caused some commotion online. In an article Kurz posted for The Athletic, he posted Michkov’s full statement:
“For the first time in my life, I took four months off. No hockey…Training is not the same. So somewhere at the beginning of the season, I lost concentration, but with each game I’m feeling better and better.”
Kurz follows that up by saying, “That’s an admission that Flyers fans should probably appreciate. That the 20-year-old can so easily and publicly pinpoint an error in judgment also suggests he’s not going to let it happen in the future. Lesson learned, Michkov seemed to be saying. We’ll see.” (from Flyers’ Matvei Michkov may be ready to break out after acknowledging poor offseason, The Athletic, Nov. 8, 2025).
Michkov is working his way back toward stardom. There is no doubt that there is a ton of talent, and while hockey is a fairly universal language, the expectations in the NHL are higher than any other league, and after his first full offseason, it appears that Michkov has learned that now.
