Anthony Stolarz's Contract Extension is Becoming an Issue for the Toronto Maple Leafs

Anthony Stolarz was one of the best goaltenders in the entire NHL this season, and this ascension seemingly came out of nowhere.

While the goalie was a respected backup, he had never shown himself to be such a reliable starter. While splitting the net with Joseph Woll, Stolarz proved himself to be the better option.

He finished the regular season with 21 wins, four shutouts, a goals-against average of 2.14, and a save percentage of .926.

However, as Hockey Patrol recently pointed out, the Leafs have a huge decision to make as it pertains to Stolarz. Once July 1st hits, they will be allowed to sign the goalie to a contract extension.

He will have one year left on his deal, which is worth an AAV of $2.5 million. This puts the Leafs in a unique situation, especially with Joseph Woll making $3.67 million per year until 2028.

The Leafs must now decide whether or not they are comfortable with two viable starting goaltenders as a tandem. Do they want to split the duties for three more seasons? If so, then a two-year extension might be the right move.

Of course, Anthony Stolarz also has a say in all of this. If he feels like he is a starter in this league, he may not want to split the net with Woll. The feeling from Woll could very well be mutual.

These thoughts and feelings could prevent Stolarz from signing a new extension. It could also prevent the Leafs from negotiating.

Instead, we might just see the Leafs head into next season with a "wait-and-see" approach as opposed to making any brash decisions. After all, Stolarz is injury prone.

Only time will tell what the team decides, as they have various other issues they must get to before they even think about what to do with their goalies.