According to Elliotte Friedman, the Edmonton Oilers were ready to take Toronto Maple Leafs goaltending prospect Joseph Woll during the 2016 NHL Entry Draft if the Maple Leafs hadn’t stepped up and grabbed him first. Friedman notes in his latest 32 Thoughts column: “During last Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada, Craig MacTavish said that if Toronto hadn’t taken Joseph Woll, the Oilers were going to. The Maple Leafs took him 62nd overall. Edmonton was next.”
Woll won his first NHL game Saturday when he was put in for the Maple Leafs. With news that Petr Mrazek is out with an injury until December and with Jack Campbell taking a huge load of the starts, the Leafs need a netminder to step up and earn a spot on the roster as a viable backup. Woll might be that guy.
It’s interesting because the Oilers are a team that have questions in goal. While those questions might be different than the ones the Maple Leafs have — the Oilers aren’t sure either of their starters is part of the team’s long-term future — there’s been a ton of talk about what Edmonton will do. While Woll hasn’t proven himself at the NHL level yet, clearly the Oilers would have loved to have had him in their system and he looks like he’s ready to take the next step.
Meanwhile, Toronto made a wise choice by picking someone that could eventually step in and take the backup role behind Jack Campbell, should the Leafs re-sign Campbell to an extension this summer. Kyle Dubas was hoping the tandem of Campbell and Mrazek would give Woll more time to develop, but injuries and workload have changed things slightly.
The question now will be how much opportunity Woll is given to earn a spot on this Maple Leafs’ roster. And, if he does, what Toronto intends to do about their tricky goaltending situation. Meanwhile, the Oilers have hopefully done alright with their own goalie draft selections. Stuart Skinner was drafted in round 3 at #78 overall in the 2017 NHL Entry Draft . Ilya Konovalov was selected in round 3 at #85 overall 2019 NHL Entry Draft . Olivier Rodrigue was selected in round 2 at #62 overall in the 2018 NHL Entry Draft.
More must-reads: