Joseph Woll has re-signed a one-year two-way contract with the Maple Leafs for $750,000 in NHL salary.

Woll was drafted by the Maple Leafs in 2016 in the third round out of Boston College. He signed his ELC in 2019 when his college season was over, but while he was still in class, burning a year off the front end of that deal. It’s a common practice for NCAA graduates who want to get to their RFA years sooner. His ELC was an $800,000 deal with the maximum $70,000 minors salary. His new contract is also a two-way deal, but the benefit to him of burning that first year is that this contract can contain a higher minors salary and guaranteed minimum clauses that an ELC may not have. We have no details on that part of the contract yet.

In the 2019-2020 season, Woll was 48 out of 49 goalies in save % for AHL goalies who played at least 1,200 minutes. In 32 games played he faced 912 shots on goal against and allowed 109 goals.

Also at the bottom of the save % list, with numbers well under .900 were Scott Wedgewood — now the New Jersey Devils top prospect and Filip Gustavsson — Ottawa’s best goalie this year.

In the 2020-2021 season, Woll was 23 out of 34 goalies in save % for AHL goalies who played at least 660 minutes. On 435 shots on goal against, he allowed 47 goals in 15 games played.

With half as much time to develop his game and make a mark, he showed some improvement on a team that was significantly worse than the Marlies of the year before. It was a rough year for goalies in the AHL, with only Logan Thompson and Zach Fucale getting the traditional top of the AHL, big save % numbers. Many teams lost all their talent to NHL Taxi Squads and had to play with whoever they could find.

It’s necessary, after two disrupted seasons, for Woll to play something more like a regular AHL season where he can focus on his game and the team in front of him can play as a team without all the ECHL and PTO players filling in for missing prospects.

After celebrating his 23rd birthday a few days ago, he’s got time to show some more growth in his game.

The AHL is expected to start sometime in October, playing something like a normal season with their regular divisional format. Schedules are subject to border regulations and COVID protocols, and have not yet been announced.

Toronto MarliesMaple Leafs Prospects