Former Oilers' Vezina-Worthy Season On Hold

EDMONTON -- The best-laid plans can be foiled by luck.

Bad luck and good luck. The Edmonton Oilers had poor luck at the beginning of the year. Things were looking like a repeat of the October before. That start resulted in the current head coach replacing the young Jay Woodcroft.

Regarding good luck, one former Oilers goalie has put together a Vezina-worthy performance to begin 2024-25.

This past summer, the Toronto Maple Leafs signed goalie Anthony Stolarz to a two-year deal worth $2.5 million per season. He has been the backbone of the team's success this year.

With an 18-10-2 record, the Maple Leafs are first in the Atlantic Division and third in the Eastern Conference.

In 17 games this season, Stolarz has been putting together a career-best performance. He has a record of 9-5-2 to go along with a 2.15 goals against average (GAA), a .927 save percentage, and one shutout.

Stolarz ranks among the best compared to goalies who have played at least 10 games this season. He's second to Connor Hellebuyck in GAA and first in SV%.

However, his season is being put on hold for the next while.

Earlier today, Stolarz was put on Injured Reserve by the Maple Leafs. Right now, the goalie is considered day-to-day, so he should not be out for an extended amount of time. At that point, the 30-year-old can continue his season and bid for his first-ever Vezina Trophy.

The Oilers acquired Stolarz in exchange for Cam Talbot. He would play six games, primarily as a backup. He would finish that season with a 3.77 GAA and a .897 SV%.

Perhaps this patch of bad luck can be interrupted by good luck after all.

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