As the Toronto Maple Leafs look to get their season back on track, the status of their talented goaltender remains in the spotlight.
Joseph Woll returned to the ice on Saturday, and though he's resumed his on-ice work, it remains unclear as to when he'll actually be ready to suit up for the Maple Leafs, Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman reported on Hockey Night in Canada's Saturday Headlines segment.
"He skated today, he's going to join the team for practice. Because he's on LTIR, he cannot rejoin the Maple Leafs in a game situation until Nov. 1 at least," Friedman said. "I assume there's gonna be a conditioning stint here. But right now, at this point in time, no set idea as to when he'll actually be able to play an NHL game."
The 27-year-old took a leave of absence back on Sept. 23 to attend to a personal family matter.
He did not suit up for any of the Leafs' pre-season outings and therefore hasn't suited up for in-game action since Game 7 of the second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs against the Florida Panthers last season.
According to Friedman, the team intends to "see how he is and progress from there."
Woll was an important piece in Toronto's crease in the 2024-25 campaign, playing a career-high 42 games with a 27-14-1 record, a 2.73 goals-against average and a .909 save percentage.
Though he entered the post-season as the backup, Woll started six games for the Maple Leafs after Anthony Stolarz suffered a head injury in Game 1 of the second-round series against the Florida Panthers.
Through his seven playoff appearances, Woll picked up a 3-4 record with a 3.56 GAA and a .886 save percentage.
With Woll sidelined, Stolarz has started all but two games for the 4-4-1 Maple Leafs this season. He has a 2-4-1 record with a 3.31 GAA and a .885 save percentage.
Cayden Primeau has served as the team's backup through the early portion of the season, most recently starting Saturday's game against the Buffalo Sabres.
