Anthony Stolarz outlines what he’s looking for with next contract, clash with Sam Bennett and more

Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz joined Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill on Tuesday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take, as he prepares for the upcoming season.

Stolarz is fully recovered from a season-ending head injury that occurred during Game 1 of the second-round series against the Florida Panthers. Bennett collided with Stolarz’s head during the second period of that contest, and the 31-year-old did not play for the remainder of the series. Stolarz reiterated that he was the backup for Game 7 and was available to play if needed, but Joseph Woll was in fine form in the buildup to the elimination game.

“It was obviously just an unfortunate incident there,” Stolarz said. “Just kind of got hit in the head there, and probably 5-10 minutes after, started feeling woozy and dizzy and what not. I thought it was best for myself and the team to take the right precautions to make sure everything’s alright.

“Things took a little while to get back. Right before Game 6 or Game 7, I started feeling like myself again. I backed up Game 7. But now, everything’s good. I was able to train, I was able to skate. I was probably on the ice 15-20 times with my goalie coach. I’ve had no symptoms. Everything was good, I was able to go full-throttle this summer.”

Bennett developed a reputation for questionable hits, but Stolarz doesn’t think that there was any ill-intent.

“I think it was just an unfortunate accident, having played with (Bennett) for a year. He plays a hard-nosed game, but I don’t think there was any malicious intent. I just think it was an unfortunate incident where you just kind of get a bad spot and it kind of threw me for a loop there. It obviously sucks to have your season ended that way, but those were the cards I was dealt.”

Stolarz signed a two-year deal worth $2.5 million annually with the Maple Leafs on July 1, 2024 and rewarded the team for their calculated bet on small sample excellence. He provided a candid self-assessment of his play on Tuesday morning, amid a contract year.

“I thought it went well. Obviously the injuries are unfortunate, with the knee and then the head injury at the end of the year. I thought I came back from the knee injury and found my form in the second half there. That’s the biggest thing going forward. It was probably the best hockey I’ve played my entire career.”

Stolarz’s upcoming contract negotiation will be one of the key storylines entering the 2025-26 season for the Maple Leafs, but he’s not altogether concerned about the particulars right now.

“It’s something I’ll leave to my agent and (Brad Treliving) and my focus is to continue and build off what I did last year. The most important thing is starting camp off the right way and getting some reps in the preseason.”

So what is Stolarz looking for when it comes to his next contract?

“Getting paid fairly. Something that helps the team but at the same time, something that shows they believe in me.”

We highly recommend watching the wide-ranging interview, as training camp officially gets underway Wednesday.