Ex-Panthers ready for next challenge
Why Stolarz and Ekman-Larsson bought into the Maple Leafs after a Stanley Cup parade
New Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz is starting to catch up on his sleep.
The past few weeks have been a whirlwind. You know, winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers, partying at Fort Lauderdale Beach, a parade, then (maybe the hardest of it all) unrestricted free agency.
“Everything happened so fast,” said the 30-year-old Stolarz. “It was a pretty quick turnaround from being in Florida to picking a team. Going from the parade, you’re on a high with your teammates, then you’re on the phone with your agent. But I’m super happy and super confident.”
The same can be said for 32-yearold defenceman Oliver EkmanLarsson, Stolarz’s teammate in Florida and now in Toronto.
“It’s been unreal,” said EkmanLarsson. “That’s something (winning the Cup) that’s going to be with me for the rest of my life. I’m very thankful for that opportunity, (but) I love coming into Toronto. Just a passionate fan base who cares a lot about the team. I really like the group, a lot of really good players, and I felt like I can help them.”
Teams love adding Cup champions to the dressing room, players who have proven they know what it takes to win, but the Leafs need more than that.
The six-foot-six Stolarz, a career backup, arrives on a two-year deal at $2.5 million per season. He’ll share the net, and challenge Joseph Woll for the No. 1 job, after a posting a .925 save average as Sergei Bobrovsky’s backup. Last month, Woll re-signed for $10.98 million over three years.
“It’s an historic organization,” said Stolarz, “and there’s an opportunity here, I felt. I knew my role in Florida as a backup. Here, Woll and I are going to be competing for starts, and as a goalie that’s all you can ask for.”
The Leafs haven’t spent a great deal on goaltending under current general manager Brad Treliving and previous GM Kyle Dubas, preferring reclamation projects (Jack Campbell, Matt Murray, Petr Mrázek, Erik Källgren, Ilya Samsonov, Martin Jones) rather than swinging big, the way GM Lou Lamoriello once did by trading for and re-signing Frederik Andersen.
But the underlying numbers suggest Stolarz is closer to a sure thing than a gamble. His expected save percentage (plus 2.38), goals saved above expected (plus 15.14) and goals per game saved above expected (plus 0.56) were among the NHL’s top three, according to Meghan Chayka, co-owner and chief data analyst at Stathletes.
Part of Stolarz’s success can be attributed to playing for the Panthers, who finished tied with the Winnipeg Jets as the best defensive team last season, allowing a puny 2.41 goals per game. The Leafs, by contrast, allowed 3.18 per game, 21st out of 32.
Treliving believes a coaching change from Sheldon Keefe to Craig Berube and the additions of Ekman-Larsson and Chris Tanev on defence will help change that.
“He’s a very good goalie, obviously … You guys are going to love him,” Ekman-Larsson said of Stolarz.
The Flyers drafted Stolarz in the second round in 2012 and he bounced around a bit, always with an established goalie ahead of him: including John Gibson in Anaheim before Bobrovsky in Florida. He said he learned a lot along the way.
“Sergei was a great teammate and a true professional,” said Stolarz. “Watching his work ethic, that’s probably the biggest thing I’m going to take away from him. I like to pride myself on working hard, but he went above and beyond: getting out early, staying out late, doing lifts, stretches.
“He was one hell of a teammate — I’m going to miss him — but at the end of the day he’s on the dark side now. I’m looking forward to playing him next year.”
Meanwhile, Ekman-Larsson, who will be 33 when next season begins, is just one summer removed from being bought out by the Vancouver Canucks for underperforming in two seasons there, after building up a stellar resumé in his first 11 years with the Coyotes.
“It’s hard to get bought out, pretty much getting fired,” said EkmanLarsson. “But obviously I’ve always believed in myself, and knew that the last two seasons before this one I haven’t been healthy, been battling some injuries.”
He was rejuvenated in Florida and said he ramped up his training regimen.
“I feel like I’m still skating well,” said Ekman-Larsson. “I know I’m moving the puck well, breaking the puck out. I just want to be the best version of myself … I feel a lot better than what I did when I was 25, to be honest with you.”
‘‘ I feel like I’m still skating well. I know I’m moving the puck well, breaking the puck out. I just want to be the best version of myself … I feel a lot better than what I did when I was 25.
OLIVER EKMANLARSSON