Scratch: Maple Leafs Will Trade a Goalie as 3:00 p.m. ET Deadline Looms
scratch — The Maple Leafs are positioned to move one of their goaltenders before the NHL trade deadline at 3: 00 p. m. ET today as roster mechanics and waiver realities force decisions.
The club has options that include Anthony Stolarz or Joseph Woll and faces a choice driven by a younger option proving NHL-capable. Teams and players are watching how recalls and roster windows will alter short-term playoff eligibility and summer planning.
Scratch decision on the crease: who moves and why
The most immediate and consequential decision centers on the Maple Leafs’ depth in goal. One of Anthony Stolarz or Joseph Woll could be traded by the summer, and the organization is listening to offers on Stolarz, a development highlighted publicly by Kevin Weekes, broadcast analyst.
Dennis Hildeby has shown he can play at the NHL level in the first half of the season and will require waivers to be sent to the Marlies starting next season; that waiver requirement makes retaining three goalies impractical and increases the pressure to deal at least one netminder. The team’s evaluation of who is most tradable will be affected by recent performance and by how teams value assets that do not significantly impact the salary cap.
Deadline-day mechanics, recalls and roster flexibility
The NHL trade deadline timing — 3: 00 p. m. ET today — also shapes smaller roster moves. The Leafs are weighing whether to send forward Easton Cowan to the Marlies before the deadline so he would be eligible for the AHL Calder Cup playoffs; sending him now would preserve that possibility while allowing the club to recall him later, though that would count against a limited number of recalls.
There is a minor but meaningful change this year on recall rules: after the trade deadline, clubs may recall five players from the minors (excluding injury recalls), an increase intended to give teams greater flexibility. However, no more than four of those recalled players may occupy spots on the NHL roster at the same time, a constraint that will factor into how the Leafs deploy call-ups and manage playoff-eligible depth.
Immediate reaction and club posture
Kevin Weekes, broadcast analyst, stated plainly: “The Leafs are listening to offers on Anthony Stolarz. ” That blunt assessment has pushed the goalie market and internal planning into high gear as teams gauge what return the Leafs can command given recent performance levels.
Observers note that while other goaltenders on the market exist, the Leafs’ decisions are as much about internal roster balance and long-term planning as they are about immediate trades. The club must weigh waiver logistics, cap neutrality and the value of younger options when calibrating any deal.
What’s next — calendar and likely moves
Expect the Maple Leafs to remain active up to and possibly through the 3: 00 p. m. ET deadline today, with at least one goalie move likely over the coming months as the club sorts depth and waiver exposure. A last-minute roster shuffle involving Easton Cowan is possible as the team balances AHL playoff eligibility against NHL call-up limits.
Beyond today, the club will continue to evaluate offers on goaltenders and adjust plans as waiver timing and performance dictate; the next clear milestones will be immediate deadline outcomes at 3: 00 p. m. ET and subsequent roster announcements, all setting the stage for summer decisions that may extend the Leafs’ goalie changes from deadline day to the offseason scratch pad.
