Craige Berube has a negative injury update on Leafs star: ‘Worse than we thought’

With a very sincere statement, Craig Berube addressed one of the most concerning absences for the Toronto Maple Leafs in the 2025-26 NHL season. With starting goaltender Anthony Stolarz out with an injury, the head coach provided a discouraging update on the Stanley Cup-winning netminder.

Stolarz has yet to return to the ice for the Maple Leafs in a crucial NHL campaign. With the Buds missing several key pieces, Berube voiced an honest confession about how the 31-year-old goalie is looking.

The netminder remains on Injured Reserve (IR) with an upper-body injury, which is considered day-to-day. However, Berube has now admitted the team may have underestimated just how troubling the setback might be.

“Obviously, worse than we thought. He’s not ready to get on the ice yet and do the things that he needs to. Hopefully soon, I don’t have a timetable,” Berube admitted, via The Leafs Nation’s Arun Srinivasan. “We weren’t sure at the time about the seriousness of it.”

Anthony Stolarz #41 of the Toronto Maple Leafs at Scotiabank Arena.

Stolarz’s injury

Anthony Stolarz has been sidelined since sustaining an injury during Toronto’s 5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on November 11. That night quickly turned into a nightmare for the Maple Leafs who didn’t just lose their goalie, but witnessed Auston Matthews exit the game after a scary hit against the boards. Neither has been back on the ice since.

see also

NHL News: Maple Leafs coach Craig Berube provides Auston Matthews injury update ahead of Blue Jackets game

Maple Leafs’ goaltending room

If there’s a silver lining for the Maple Leafs, it’s that Joseph Woll has finally returned from his personal leave of absence. When Stolarz went down, concern grew in Toronto, as rookie Dennis Hildeby would have had to blossom into a starting role in record time.

However, Woll came back and has since taken over the starting crease in The Six. So far, the former third-round selection has made two appearances in the 2025-26 NHL campaign. Registering a 1-1-0 record with a 2.44 goals-against average (GAA) and a .934 save percentage (SV%), he has seemingly not missed a gear—just what Berube and the Leafs need amid such challenging times in Hogtown.