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Joseph Woll is suddenly a real summer trade piece, and Craig Berube may be coaching through the first sign of Toronto’s retool.
David Pagnotta’s latest note pushed that idea further.
He said Toronto is expected to discuss its goaltending depth with other teams, and he specifically mentioned possible interest from Philadelphia and Carolina.
That matters because this no longer feels like one isolated rumor.
The Leafs already carried Morgan Rielly into deadline chatter, and offseason talk around bigger roster surgery has stayed alive ever since.
Brad Treliving now has a crease logjam to sort out on top of the blue-line questions.
Toronto has Joseph Woll, Anthony Stolarz, and Dennis Hildeby in the picture, which is why rival teams are watching closely.
Woll stands out because his contract situation is cleaner for a move.
He has no trade protection for next season, while Stolarz gets a 16-team no-trade clause this summer.
David Pagnotta: Re Maple Leafs: I think they’re gonna have a discussion with other teams about their goaltending; they’ve got some…quality depth there; wouldn’t surprise me if a team like Philly comes knocking; or…we talked about Carolina – DFO Rundown (3/18)
That doesn’t guarantee Woll is the goalie who goes. But when a front office starts weighing a summer reset, the movable contract is usually where the real calls begin.
Toronto’s crease is now part of the bigger shakeup
The timing is what makes this feel bigger than routine chatter. An Apple Podcasts listing for the March 11 Insider Edition of DFO Rundown framed Toronto as one of the clubs with deadline talks that could easily pick back up in the offseason.
Then came another Insider Edition 6 days ago, with Toronto changes again pushed into the spotlight around Auston Matthews’ long-term future and the club’s quick-turnaround hopes.
Berube is still the head coach, and that matters here.
If the Leafs believe their next step is a harder, leaner roster, moving a goalie for help elsewhere becomes one of the fastest ways to start reshaping it.
Philadelphia makes sense as a team to watch because Pagnotta brought them up directly.
Carolina fits too, especially for a club that is always looking at ways to tighten its depth chart before next season.
The big picture is simple.
Rielly’s noise on the back end and fresh goaltending buzz in the crease point to the same thing: Toronto doesn’t look locked into standing pat.
And if that’s true, Woll may be the Leafs name that turns summer trade talk into an actual move.
Previously on Toronto Hockey Daily
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Leafs eye big summer move with goaltender emerging in trade talks
Should the Toronto Maple Leafs trade Joseph Woll this summer ?