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A concerning Joseph Woll update is suddenly worrying Leafs fans

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Vincent Carbonneau
May 19, 2026  (7:01)
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Apr 8, 2026; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Washington Capitals left wing Ilya Protas (62) battles for the puck in front of Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll (60) during the second period at Scotiabank Arena.
Photo credit: Nick Turchiaro-Imagn Images

Joseph Woll and Don Granato are suddenly tied to a rough World Championship stretch that Toronto cannot just shrug off.

Woll was supposed to use this tournament to settle his game and head into summer with better momentum.

Instead, the early returns have gone the other way.

In Team USA's opening game against Switzerland, Woll stopped 17 of 20 shots in a 3-1 loss.

That alone was not a disaster. It was shaky, but still survivable in a short tournament.

The bigger hit came against Finland. Woll gave up 5 goals on 10 shots and got pulled in the second period as the Americans lost 6-2.

That is where this stops being a small storyline and starts feeling like something Toronto has to watch closely.

«Joseph Woll's play should be concerning for the Maple Leafs, as people expected Woll to use this tournament as a chance for him to refind his game.» - Nicholas Giannone

Leafs fans are panicking after new details emerged about Joseph Woll

The concern is not only the raw numbers. It is the timing.

Woll came into this event with a real chance to clean up the feeling around his season, especially after admitting himself that too much had been left on the table.

«During Monday's contest, the Maple Leafs netminder was pulled after giving up five goals on ten shots.» - Nicholas Giannone

His end-of-season quote already hinted at that. He said his year felt «a bit of up and down» and admitted there were stretches where things were not going his way.

That is why these World Championship starts matter. They do not create the concern from nothing. They add to a concern that was already sitting there.

And now there is another consequence. If this keeps going, Granato may simply stop giving him the crease.

That would be a bad look for Woll and a bad development for the Maple Leafs, who need more stability from him heading into next season.

«Right now, it looks as if his game is beginning to trend in the wrong direction.» - Nicholas Giannone

The article makes that point clearly. Toronto hoped this event would help Woll refind his game, not push it further in the wrong direction.

There is still time for him to settle down. It is early, and one strong outing can change the feel of a short tournament fast.

But that does not erase what already happened.

A goalie getting pulled after allowing 5 goals on 10 shots is always going to ring alarms, especially when his NHL club is already looking for signs that he can be more dependable.

For now, this is not panic. But it is absolutely concern.

And if Woll does not respond soon, the Leafs will head deeper into the offseason with one more problem sitting in plain sight.

Source : Maple Leafs should be growing concerned about Joseph Woll