3 questions facing Toronto Maple Leafs

NHL.com is providing in-depth roster, prospect and fantasy analysis for each of its 32 teams from Aug. 1-Sept. 1. Today, three important questions facing the Toronto Maple Leafs.

1. Can Joseph Woll stay healthy enough to be a No. 1 goalie in the NHL?

The departure of Ilya Samsonov to the Vegas Golden Knights in free agency means the 26-year-old has a great shot to grab the starter's job and run with it, although he'll be pushed by free agent acquisition Anthony Stolarz, who backed up Sergei Bobrovsky with the Stanley Cup champion Florida Panthers last season.

In order to take full advantage of the opportunity, Woll will have to buck the injury trend that has limited him to 36 regular-season appearances in his three-year NHL career, with a 21-13-1 record, a 2.76 goals-against average and .912 save percentage.

The latest injury came in Game 6 against the Bruins last season, when Woll sprained his back in a failed attempt to stop a shot by Bruins forward Morgan Geekie in the final seconds. Had he not been hurt, he was Toronto's choice to start Game 7, which the Maple Leafs eventually lost 2-1 in overtime.

General manager Brad Treliving said the team is being proactive in examining Woll’s injury issues.

"I've got faith in Joe," Treliving said. "The biggest question about Joe is he's getting injured a lot. We have to dig into that. Sometimes that happens, sometimes bad luck happens. Is there a training issue that we have to deal with?

"We need to change something in his off-ice routine."

2. Who will fill the void in the top-six forward group left by the departure of Tyler Bertuzzi?

After a sluggish start, the rugged forward scored 14 of his 21 goals in the final 26 games of the regular season in a top-six role to provide much needed complementary scoring to the team's Core Four up front of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, William Nylander and John Tavares.

Now that Bertuzzi has left for the Chicago Blackhawks via free agency, Bobby McMann looks like the leading candidate to step into a full-time top-six role. He had a sporadic taste of the spot late last season, scoring 13 of his 15 goals in the final 30 games when former coach Sheldon Keefe experimented with him on a line with Tavares and Nylander. A late bloomer, the 28-year-old made his NHL debut two years ago and had played just 10 career games, scoring zero goals, before the 2023-24 season.

Max Domi saw time on a line with Marner and Matthews late in the season and is an option after he finished with 47 points (nine goals, 38 assists), and has the flexibility to move between top-six wing and third-line center.

Matthew Knies had 35 points (15 goals, 20 assists) in his first full NHL season and appears ready to take the next step in his development. The 21-year-old likely will battle McMann and Domi for the two available spots in the top-six.

3. With one Stanley Cup Playoff series win in two decades, can the Maple Leafs shake off the hangover of another first-round exit?

Domi certainly thinks they can, which is why after one season with the Leafs, the 29-year-old re-signed on July 1 with a four-year, $15 million contract ($3.75 million average annual value).

He's already skated with a handful of his teammates during the offseason and said the prevailing mood is one of gnawing hunger to get over the team's recent postseason hurdle.

"The past is the past," Domi said. "We can only control what's ahead of us. We've put Boston behind us."

Domi was referring to the Game 7 overtime goal by Boston Bruins forward David Pastrnak that eliminated Toronto in the Eastern Conference First Round.

"Look around our room, at all the skill and leadership," he said. "We're all encouraged at what lies ahead."