Dec 17, 2025
3 min read
Hockey Insider Darren Dreger joins Gino Reda to discuss Joseph Woll's impending return, Anthony Stolarz's latest injury and more on early trades.
Darren Dreger joins Gino Reda to discuss Joseph Woll's impending return, the latest with Anthony Stolarz's injury, Auston Matthews' declining production and whether Brad Treliving can find help for his captain, how the injuries stack up for Team Canada's Olympic hopefuls and more of the impact of the Quinn Hughes trade.
Gino Reda: Is Joseph Woll ready to go?What's up with Auston Matthews?And the injury news keeps piling up for Team Canada.
Insider Darren Dreger had a lot to say this morning.Dregs, the Leafs have lost three of their last four when they host the Chicago Blackhawks tonight, but can help on the road?
Darren Dreger: Yes, on behalf of Joseph Wall, as head coach Craig Berube admitted last week that Wall's injury wouldn't last long, maybe seven days, maybe more, and that's what happened.
It's not like the Maple Leafs have goaltending issues, per se, their issues go far beyond the point, but there is some confidence on the bench, across the room, to get Wall back in net against the Blackhawks.
Berube also admitted that Anthony Stolarz continued to see a doctor.He lined up to meet other specialists.Berube says Stolarz did not make the progress he had hoped for and suggested it was not related to the clash.
There's all kinds of speculation surrounding the Maple Leafs netminding, but it's a shot in the arm for the Leafs to get Woll back.
Reda: Speaking of concerns about the Leafs, Matthews is on pace for a career-worst 56 points.Before the season, we asked if he could challenge for the Rocket [Richard Trophy], maybe even the Art Ross [Trophy], now he's not even in the top 100 in the league in scoring.
Even Berube is now calling him out publicly.So here's the question: Is Matthews hurt or just struggling?
Dreger: Well, we said straight up, "The Maple Leaf Chief is unharmed."
There is nothing left.Maybe it's just an extension of the feeling of not having his good friend and teammate Mitch Marner as part of the solution, part of the Maple Leafs team right now.
I know there was hope at the beginning of the year that Matthews could adjust his game, do things a little differently, not always finish, but it hasn't worked out that way.
Berube has put various pieces on that line with Matthews and Matthew Nice when he's been healthy, but he hasn't been able to find consistent chemistry.
So the obvious applies - how about a general manager Brad Treliving?
We know Treliving would like to add another top-six forward, maybe two top-six forwards, but based on what we saw between the Minnesota Wild and Vancouver Canucks, sure, logically, you could look at something like that and say "Big deals like that can happen," but the Wild had the pieces to lure Quinn Hughes from Vancouver, and the Maple Leafs aren't a stock player.
That type of player, the type of player Matthews needs on that line, doesn't exist.But as the season progresses, you can tell it will get hotter.
Reda: Speaking of injuries, they are key to Team Canada's plans to announce their final Olympic squad.
We know the roster is due on December 31st, but Connor Bedard is out until January, now there are a few guys that could be in doubt as well?
Dreger: Yes, we'll get injury updates as the week progresses, if not today, but we're looking at forward Brandon Hagel of the Tampa Bay Lightning and goaltender Darcy Kuemper of the Los Angeles Kings, both of whom were injured Monday night.Why not throw Bedard into the equation, right?
The news on Bader isn't as bad as initially thought, so there is hope that Bader can return to action for the Blackhawks in early January.
Again, we'll have to wait and see what the final tally from Lightning and Hagel, along with Kuemper, turns out to be.We know Hagel was on the team [at the Four Nations in February], as was Kuemper, certainly in the three-goal deal that Canada will send to Italy with [Washington Capitals G] Logan Thompson and [St.Louis Blues G] Jordan Binington.
If you're the manager of Team Canada, it's a confusing process.They were hoping to deal with the injury, but now they have until December 31st to make a decision.
Reda: Four days after the sale of Hughes to Wild, the price decline continues.Does this also apply to teams that made a serious offer for Hughes, lost, and are now looking for a plan B?
Dreger: Yeah, and right at the top of the list is the New Jersey Devils.Not only because they did not land Hughes, it is more about addressing wants and needs.
The good news from New Jersey's perspective is that they get brett pesce back in the mix so that will help their blue line.
I think he’s expected to return as early as Wednesday, and Jack Hughes is not that far behind.
He's likely to return sooner than expected, so internally it's a boost for the Devils.
Tom Fitzgerald, the GM for the Devils, is looking for some help.They like the idea of adding a center back and a defender.Obviously Quinn Hughes would strengthen that blue line, but New Jersey doesn't have the pieces to move to Vancouver at this point, so they want to build around what they already have.
They think Dawson Mercer is a natural winger.He has played on the wing of late, but if they can land a centre-back, they might be able to move him there full-time.
There are plenty of teams in the market for center, so Fitzgerald has a long hunting schedule ahead of him.
Reda: Dregs, you've got a lot on your plate when the trade stoppage starts later this week.
