After a brief playoff run that saw them get swept by the Carolina Hurricanes, the Ottawa Senators should be in for a busy offseason.
The Senators are entering the summer with a variety of roster needs to address. One of them is the goaltender position, as they undoubtedly need to find an upgrade for their backup role.
Leevi Merilainen struggled significantly this season with the Senators, as he had an 8-10-1 record, an .860 save percentage, and a 3.51 goals-against average in 20 games. James Reimer was a bit more effective than Merilainen, but he still finished the season with an underwhelming .886 save percentage.
With this, bringing in another goalie should be one of the Senators' top objectives this summer. When looking at trade candidates around the NHL, Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz stands out as an interesting potential option for Ottawa.
Questions about Stolarz's future in Toronto have been coming up. It is understandable, as the Maple Leafs have Dennis Hildeby waiting in the wings and Joseph Woll as their starter. Therefore, it is fair to wonder if the Maple Leafs could make Stolarz available this summer.
Stolarz had a down year for his standards in 2025-26. In 26 games this season with Toronto, he had a 10-10-3 record, a 3.28 goals-against average, and an .893 save percentage. Yet, when looking at his past success, he is a prime bounce-back candidate to watch for next season.
During the 2023-24 season, Stolarz had an NHL-best .925 save percentage in 27 games for the Florida Panthers. He followed that up by having an NHL-best .926 save percentage in 34 games with Toronto in 2024-25. With this, he is capable of making a real impact when playing at his best and could be a good goalie for the Senators to take a gamble on.
Stolarz would form strong one-two punch with Linus Ullmark for Senators
If the Senators successfully acquired Stolarz, he could slot in nicely as their 1B to Linus Ullmark. The idea of a Ullmark-Stolarz tandem is certainly intriguing, as both goalies can be very good when playing at their highest levels.
With goaltending being such an important part of a playoff team's roster, bringing in Stolarz to form a tandem with Ullmark would have the potential to benefit Ottawa tremendously. It will be interesting to see if the Senators end up making a push for the Maple Leafs goaltender this summer from here.
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