Anthony Stolarz signs a new 4-year contract with the Maple Leafs! | Instant Analysis

Anthony Stolarz signs a new 4-year contract with the Maple Leafs! | Instant Analysis

WHAT?! ANTHONY STOLARZ IS A LEAF! This is 
a crazy deal, and it’s a crazy deal for a reason. Let’s talk about it. Here it is, and it’s 
beautiful. The Leafs signed Anthony Stolarz to a 4 year contract extension that doesn’t begin 
until next year. $3.75 million per season. He makes $2.5 million this season. Joseph Woll, who 
yes while he is away from the team right now, makes $3.67 million per season. I think 
it’s actually a hair lower than that, but Puckpedia rounds it up. It’s a three-year 
contract beginning this season, which means it goes on for two more seasons after this. 
Which means this season, the Leafs have both Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll for under $6.2 
million combined. And for the next two seasons after this one, the Leafs are going to have 
Woll and Stolarz signed to a combined $7.42 million. That’s a steal. That’s a ridiculous 
steal. That is – That’s one of the best value tandems in the NHL. The number one knock against 
Woll and against Stolarz, especially Stolarz, as we’re going to get into in this video, isn’t 
their goaltending. That would be a problem. “Hey, we signed this guy to big money and we don’t know 
if he’s good at the job that we’re paying him to do.” Anthony Stolarz is exceptionally good at the 
job that the Leafs pay him to do, which is why it is incredible that he signed a $3.75 million 
for four years after this season where he’s only making 2.5.Over the past two seasons, when he was 
a backup with the Florida Panthers and when he was with the Toronto Maple Leafs combined, Anthony 
Stolarz has a record of 37-15 and 5. When the man is in net, super good chance you win. Last 
year alone with the Leafs, he was 21-8 and3. If he was in net, they were winning. During last 
year’s Stanley Cup playoffs, winning record. I don’t think I’ll ever forgive Sam Bennett. But 
it was an accident just like all the other times it was an accident. If it’s a relapse, it’s a 
relapse. Stop. Stop. Yep. Okay. When the Leafs signed him away from the Florida Panthers, Stolarz 
had, I believe it was the best save percentage in the entire NHL at 925. And the main question was, 
well, how close can he get to that number when he signs with the Leafs? And the answer was his 
save percentage was better. It was a 926! So, why on earth is a goalie who is consistently, at 
least over the past two seasons, one of the best any single time you put him in net in the entire 
world, literally in the world. He throws up a 925 and a 926 back to back in the NHL. Yeah. Is one of 
the best goalies in the world. Well, here’s why. Anthony Stolarz is 31. In January, he’ll be 32. 
He was drafted in 2012. During the 2015-16 season with the American Hockey League’s LeHigh Valley 
Phantoms, Anthony Stolarz put up his first season of more than 40 games in net. Played 47 games 
as a professional goalie with the LeHigh Valley Phantoms. First season of 40 games. That was 
15-16. That was also the last time he played 40 games. For those of you keeping track, half of an 
NHL season is 41 games. Next season, it’s going to be 42. He did hit 40 during the 19-20 season where 
he played 39 games in the American League and 1 in the NHL. But this guy with frequent injuries has 
a bit of a durability problem. I mean, part of the reason he didn’t get into that many games 
over that span was, you know, he was a tandem goalie or he was a backup. I mean, it’s not like 
he was going to take too many starts away from Sergei Bobrovsky two years ago, but we saw it last 
year with the Leafs. He suffered a major injury and missed time. He’s had knee issues. I’m not a 
goalie coach, but I’m pretty sure you need those, and that’s why this deal is good for him. This 
is a $15 million deal. He secured a $15 million bag over the next four years. That’s security, 
locked in. Let’s say he plays this year with the Leafs and let’s say he plays the home opener. 
And let’s say I’ll let your imagination run wild, but you you know where I’m going. Something 
goes wrong and he misses time. And then he comes back and maybe he’s not as good. Then he goes 
into free agency. Well, how much money do you think he’s going to make in free agency after a 
season where he barely plays and isn’t very good? Okay. Now, how long is that contract going to be? 
Okay. Now, what if the same thing happens again? Pick up the story four years from now, does he 
have $15 million to show for it? Does he have close to 15 million to show for it? Does he have 
double digit million to show for it? Four years of security on top of this season is a huge get 
for Anthony Stolarz and his camp. The tradeoff is you got to take less money per season. Dude, we 
were talking at the beginning of this like can the Leafs get it below five? And then the rumors are 
like, “Well, what if it’s four and a half? Well, what if it’s four?” And at some point I’m like, 
“All right, I can’t even pay attention to these numbers anymore because the narrative has run 
a muck.” And we’re all like, “What if he just plays for free?” $3.75 million per season for a 
goalie with a 37-15 and five record over the past two seasons and a 925 and a half save percentage 
is absurd. The only reason that number is so low is cuz during those seasons, he played 27 and 34 
games. The beauty of the Leafs goending situation though is if Stolarz can only give you half a 
season, well you have another goalie who has a similar problem. Joseph Woll hit 42 games last 
season, which is by far his career best, but he also missed time due to injury. In fact, I believe 
he didn’t even start the season with the team. He also just turned 27 a few months ago, so 
he’s even a few years younger. And if you have two goalies that are as good as Anthony 
Solers and Joseph Wall, typically they cost you an arm and a leg. But in this case, they cost 
you the price of like one good goalie. There’s 10 individual goalies who have a higher cap hit by 
themselves than the Leafs will have with Stolarz and Woll combined next season. Igor Shesterkin 
is the highest. Carey Price isn’t even in the NHL anymore. Sergei Bobrovsky, Andrei Vasilevskiy, 
Connor Hellebuyck, Jeremy Swayman, Jake Oettinger, Ilya Sorokin, Linus Ullmark, and Juuse Saros 
all make more than that combined cap hit of Stolarz and Woll next year. And there’s some other 
goalies like making big coin. Dostal is going to be great. John Gibson got that contract a long 
time ago. Aiden Hill at 6.25, Markstrom at six, Binnington six, Grubauer at 5.9. All that to 
say, are there risks involved? Of course. I mean, it’s pro sports. There’s always risks involved. 
But this is the Leafs investing in a goalie they believe in. This is the Leafs going, “You know 
what? We got two guys, and if there is a problem with durability, they help each other out.” And 
this is also the Leafs believing in their sport science team, which in recent memory has proven to 
be pretty good. I mean, I mean, 3.75. How many of you genuinely in your heart of hearts thought 
this was coming in under four? None of you, and this is your night one of the season starter. 
This is your night one of the playoff starter. At least he was this past year. That’s an unreal 
deal. You got guys like Hildeby and Akhtyamov and the minors. Like this is a pretty nice 
little situation for the Leafs here. Maybe this allows you to use Dennis Hildeby as a 
trade chip if you really wanted to. I mean, I, at this point I’d rather keep him. Listen, 
I’m going all over the place. In short, this is a good goalie signed to term 
and a cheap number. That’s great news. What do you think of the Anthony Stolarz deal? 
Let me know in the comment box down below. And we’re going to get some news in the coming uh 
week or so because the season is creeping up on us. There’s two preseason games left and way too 
many guys on this roster still. Miroslav Holinka just got sent back to the WHL, but like they 
still have guys like Ben Danford. They haven’t even sent back all the junior guys. Oo, did any 
of their guys get claimed? I was shooting this video while waivers happened. I can’t even find 
anyone talking about it, so I assume they’re all still Leafs. We’re getting into rapid fire season 
here. Again, that is it for this one. Thank you very much for watching. Click like if you like 
this video. Click subscribe if you really liked it. Tell your friends. Brand new Steve Dangle 
podcast tomorrow and if you’re new here, I’m going to be doing a video after every single Leafs 
game this season, which is season 19 for LFR.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed goaltender Anthony Stolarz to a new four-year, $15M ($3.75M AAV) contract extension!

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