Maple Leafs season preview: From the crease to the bench, meet the new players
Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz (41) stops a Detroit Red Wings center Andrew Copp (18) shot in the second period of an preseason NHL hockey game Thursday, Oct. 3, 2024, in Detroit. (AP Photo/Paul Sancya)
Not so much a club coming off three straight 100-point regular seasons. But with a shrinking chance to win the Stanley Cup while its core is still in prime, the Maple Leafs chose to change all four aforementioned areas.
Brad Treliving, in his second year as Toronto’s general manager, has truly put his stamp on the roster and while some moves have a gambling element, the pay-off will be if the Leafs are still alive in late May.
Meet the new guys on Bay Street, keeping in mind Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz still have to sign NHL contracts.
G Anthony Stolarz
Born: Edison, N.J., 1/20/94
Nickname: Larz, Stolie
WHERE HE’S BEEN: A second-round pick of the Flyers in 2012, Stolarz has never played more than a half season in the NHL in any of his four city stops. But last year saw him in a key regular season support role with the eventual Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers, 16 wins and a .925 save percentage.
D Chris Tanev
WHERE HE’S BEEN: It’s taken a long time for the East York native to find his way home, 13 ½ seasons in Western Canada with Vancouver and Calgary before the Dallas Stars rented him for playoffs. Those 19 games last spring accounted for a third of his career post-season appearances. He’s almost at 800 career games, remarkable for an undrafted player.
WHAT HE BRINGS: Since Treliving got to Toronto and saw first-hand the need for long-term physicality on the blue line he’d been making a pitch for Tanev. His enthusiasm for corner work, contact and shot blocking make him “exactly the type of defender Leafs need to be successful in playoffs,” noted TSN analyst Craig Button. He could be the perfect complement for Morgan Rielly, a former Team Canada partner.
