Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz’s potential extension could reportedly result in a cap hit higher than that of his crease partner, Joseph Woll.

TSN’s Chris Johnston reported on the type of deal that both the Leafs and Stolarz’s camp could be happy with during an appearance on First Up with Aaron Korolnek and Carlo Colaiacovo on Tuesday. He noted that the biggest obstacle in getting this deal done is the cap hit.

“ That’s probably the trickiest part right now, and not just with the Stolarz conversations, but really any player trying to make a deal at this point in time,” he said.

“I think there’s a lot of reticence to make a bad deal because obviously everone’s getting paid more with the cap jumping up. I think Woll’s at $3.7M give or take; I think it would be a bit above that, but I don’t know if it gets up into the fives to make it happen.  I think that’s probably where the sticking point is right now, and we’ll see if either side’s willing to bend or compromise to make something happen.”

Johnston mentioned on The Chris Johnston show on Monday that a potential Stolarz extension likely will be a three or four-year deal, which would present him with stability that has not been afforded to him throughout his career so far. He later reported on Wednesday that Stolarz does not want the negotiations to bleed into the regular season, so there is motivation on both sides to get a deal done in the next three weeks.

With that said, one of the things Stolarz is contesting with is whether to bet on himself and ink a big payday in a lean free agent pool for goalies or take the safe bet given his lengthy injury history (including last season).

The year range and projected cap hit seem fair relative to the type of goalie Stolarz is and comparable to what other goalies in a similar situation were able to get in recent months. He may statistically be among the best in the NHL over the past few seasons despite a smaller sample size, but the aforementioned ailments, as well as him being 31 years old, do present some risks.

Stolarz made an appearance on Leafs Morning Take with Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill on Tuesday, outlining what type of contract he would want.

“Getting paid fairly. Something that helps the team but at the same time, something that shows they believe in me,” he said. “It’s something I’ll leave to my agent and (Brad Treliving) and my focus is to continue and build off what I did last year. The most important thing is starting camp off the right way and getting some reps in the preseason.”

In any case, Stolarz is once again slated to be one half of the goalie tandem with Woll, where the two will split the net about as evenly as head coach Craig Berube can. While there has been some roster turnover in the offseason, the majority of the roster remains intact, so the sense of familiarity with the personnel and coaching staff should ensure both goalies have sustained success.

Stolarz posted a record of 21-8-3, four shutouts, a 2.14 GAA, and a .926 SV% in 34 games played during the regular season. In the playoffs, he went 4-1-1 while adding a 2.19 GAA and a .901 SV%.

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