Mailbag: Stolarz has edge as Maple Leafs starting goalie; Ruff’s impact on Sabres

Here is the Nov. 6 edition of the weekly NHL.com mailbag, where we answer your questions asked on X. Send your questions to @drosennhl and @NHLdotcom and tag them with #OvertheBoards.

Is Anthony Stolarz stealing the starting job from Joseph Woll? Why do signs keep pointing to yes? -- @JG98942814

Anthony Stolarz is performing like a No. 1 goalie. He did last season too, when he was with the Florida Panthers and in a backup role to Sergei Bobrovsky. Right now, he is the Toronto Maple Leafs' No. 1. The bigger question is can he sustain a high level of play with a greater percentage of the workload?

Stolarz is 5-2-2 with a 2.12 goals-against average, .928 save percentage and one shutout in nine games. He is third in save percentage and second in GAA among the 20 goalies who have played at least eight games. He is also facing an average of 29.4 shots on goal. Last season with the Panthers he went 16-7-2 with a 2.03 GAA and .925 save percentage in 27 games and faced an average of 27.2 shots on goal per game.

The Panthers last season were tied with the Winnipeg Jets for the fewest goals-against per game (2.41). The Maple Leafs have the makings of a team this season that can at least be in the top 10. What this means is that when Stolarz plays behind a solid defense, he plays like a No. 1 goalie. He got an opportunity to showcase that with Toronto last month because of Woll's injury and he's run with it. For now, the job should be his with Woll as the backup. Stolarz, though, has never played more than 28 games in a season. His 24 starts last season were an NHL high. Can he keep it up with a bigger workload and more attention from opponents who will have to dive deeper into the pre-scout against him?

We'll await the answer on that.

Can Lindy Ruff enjoy success with the players he has in Buffalo or is he hindered by the current roster? -- @MrEd315

He can and he should. There is enough talent on the Sabres roster to mold into a winning team. They have quality goaltending with Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen and Devon Levi. They certainly don't lack motivation having not made the playoffs in 13 going on 14 years, but Ruff's task and the reason he was hired is to create a winning culture in Buffalo.

That has been the issue there. None of the six coaches that preceded Ruff since his last stint as Sabres coach ended in 2013 were able to create one. They tried, but to steal a line from the great baseball movie "The Natural," losing is a disease and it has been for years in Buffalo. That has to change this season. It isn't. The Sabres had an optimistic and energetic training camp only to lose their first three games. They've given up too much and haven't scored enough. They're not getting enough out of top forwards like Dylan Cozens and Jack Quinn. They've made glaring mistakes on the back end, like abandoning coverage in front of the net. Their special teams have been poor, the percentages barely adding up to 80. They're not generating enough quality chances. They lead the League in shot attempts that miss the net.

This isn't on Ruff, not yet at least. This isn't on general manager Kevyn Adams even though most of the players on the roster were acquired during his tenure. There are only so many coaches and general managers that the Sabres can cycle through. The players are mature enough now to take ownership and start to change the culture themselves. It has to come from inside the room or else it won't have a lasting effect. It's time that happens in Buffalo. It's been too long.

How are teams chosen for participation in the Global Series? Is it purely a league decision or do the teams and host venues also get a say? Why does it seem like some teams play abroad pretty much every other year whereas others almost never do? -- @IronCaniac

There are a number of factors that go into deciding which teams participate in the NHL Global Series, some logistical, but easily No. 1 is the players themselves and how they resonate in the market. The League prioritizes the players when it comes to the Global Series because it is a big deal for those born in Europe to return to their home city or country to play with their NHL teams. It makes them feel a sense of pride and gives them the opportunity to play in front of family and friends who do not have to travel far to see them. That's a big reason for the Panthers and Dallas Stars playing last weekend in the 2024 NHL Global Series Finland presented by Fastenal. The Panthers had four Finns, including Tampere-born Aleksander Barkov. The Stars had three. Their popularity in Finland made for a special weekend and allowed for great fan interest and engagement.

The League also looks at the popularity a team has in specific markets. That is done through research from surveys it conducts in the markets that will host Global Series games. It's possible a team earmarked to play in a specific market won't have a star player from that country, but it's still popular there based on its history of having star players from that country. For example, the Detroit Red Wings' popularity in Sweden in addition to forward Lucas Raymond is because of their historic Swedish influence with players such as Nicklas Lidstrom, Henrik Zetterberg, Niklas Kronwall, Tomas Holmstrom, Mikael Samuelsson and Johan Franzen.

The League also focuses on the teams that express a clear interest in participating. Some organizations see it as a tool for more exposure and let the NHL know of their desire to be a part of it.

To counter the last part of your question, the NHL has sent 12 different teams with no repeats to Europe for the Global Series in the past three seasons. Since 2007, when the Ducks and Los Angeles Kings played in London, there have been 25 teams that have played regular-season games in Europe. The teams that have not are the Washington Capitals, New York Islanders, Montreal Canadiens, Calgary Flames, Vancouver Canucks, Seattle Kraken and Vegas Golden Knights. The Utah Hockey Club obviously has not, but the Arizona Coyotes went in 2010.

After a month, which division is better: Central or Metropolitan? -- @spacemanley

Central, as expected.

Head-to-head, teams from the Central Division are 11-6-0 against teams from the Metropolitan Division, with the Minnesota Wild 3-1-0 and the Jets 2-0-0. Ironically, the Philadelphia Flyers, who are last in the Metropolitan Division, are 2-0-0 against teams from the Central, with wins against the Wild and St. Louis Blues.

The top team in the NHL in terms of points percentage is from the Central Division: the Jets (.923). Each division has five teams with at least a .500 points percentage, but two of the Central teams below it are the Colorado Avalanche (.462) and Nashville Predators (.375). I think we can safely say that more is expected of the Avalanche and Predators, and that no one would be surprised if those teams went on a tear to climb the standings. The three teams below the .500 points percentage in the Metropolitan Division are the Pittsburgh Penguins, Islanders and Flyers. The Penguins and Islanders were projected to be bubble teams at best, and the Flyers near the bottom of the overall NHL standings. It's not surprising that they are where they are right now. It is surprising that the Avalanche and Predators have not been better.

Overall, the Central Division has seven teams that can lay a legitimate claim to being a Stanley Cup Playoff contender, with the lone exception the Chicago Blackhawks. I could see five making it depending on the depth of the Pacific Division. The Metropolitan Division can't say the same with the Columbus Blue Jackets and Flyers expected near the bottom, and the Islanders and Penguins showing their inconsistencies. I predicted only three teams from the division would make the playoffs (New Jersey Devils, New York Rangers, Carolina Hurricanes), but the Capitals are so far knocking down the door with a strong start.

I know it's been talked about, but would it be easier for the Ducks to move Cam Fowler and John Gibson between now and the trade deadline or the offseason, and who do you see as potential partners for each player? -- @punmasterrifkin

It's never easy to move players who are north of 30 years old with multiple years remaining on their contracts. Fowler is 32 and signed through next season. He turns 33 on Dec. 5. Gibson is 31 and signed through 2026-27. So, no, it won't be easy for the Ducks to move either player this season, but that's OK because they don't have to. The Ducks can easily operate with Fowler as a top four defenseman and Gibson, once he's healthy and able to return, rotating starts with Lukas Dostal. He has been on injured reserve all season recovering from an emergency appendectomy he had Sept. 25.

I could argue that the Ducks are better off with Fowler and Gibson than they are with the draft picks or prospects they'd get in return for the players. Their contracts are not burdens based on Anaheim's salary cap structure. Gibson will insulate Dostal enough to allow the 24-year-old to gradually move into the No. 1 role. Fowler still plays at least 21 minutes per game, which helps insulate younger defensemen like Pavel Mintyukov, 20, Olen Zellweger, 21, and Jackson LaCombe, 23. They make Anaheim better, and even a rebuilding team must take positive strides toward being a contender each season. So, unless a team came at them with the proverbial offer they can't refuse, there should be no rush to trade Fowler and Gibson.

That said, teams should be interested in both. The Avalanche should be interested in Gibson considering the struggles of Alexandar Georgiev and the fact he's in the final season of his contract and a pending unrestricted free agent. The Avalanche are in their window now to win the Stanley Cup again, and maybe multiple times, and they don't want to be taken down by inferior goaltending. However, I will admit it's hard to judge how valuable Gibson is as a No. 1 goalie now because it's been a long time since he played on a postseason-contending team. He was one of the best goalies in the NHL from 2015-19, going 103-69-28 with a 2.42 GAA, .922 save percentage and 16 shutouts in 210 games (204 starts), but the Ducks started going in the wrong direction coming out of the COVID-19 pandemic and so did Gibson's game. He is 54-103-28 with a 3.46 GAA, .899 save percentage and five shutouts in 190 games (187 starts) the past four seasons. A return to a contending team might reignite Gibson's game, but it's also possible he is what he is at this point in his career.

Fowler is easier to predict as a defenseman who can play 20 minutes per game in all situations. He's a lefty who still can skate well and he has a lot of experience (985 games played). If he were in the final season of his contract, he'd be an attractive trade deadline rental to any team needing help on the back end. That he is still signed through next season makes him harder to acquire because the Ducks' price in theory should go up if a team wants Fowler for multiple playoff runs.