The Toronto Maple Leafs‘ troubles in net could be worsening.
Goalie Artur Akhtyamov was recalled from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on Thursday, two days after Anthony Stolarz left a start with an upper-body injury.
Meanwhile, the Maple Leafs also placed forward Scott Laughton on injured reserve, retroactive to Nov. 8.
Dennis Hildeby will start in net Thursday when the Maple Leafs welcome the Los Angeles Kings (Sportsnet, Sportsnet+, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT).
The big Swede has a .909 save percentage and 3.74 goals-against average in three games this season.
Stolarz was ruled out day-to-day by head coach Craig Berube on Thursday, meaning Akhtyamov will serve as Hildeby’s backup.
If Akhtyamov makes an appearance for the Maple Leafs, it will mark his NHL debut. The 24-year-old Russian has played six games for the Marlies this season, posting an .894 save percentage and 2.82 goals-against average.
In 26 games last season, his first as a North American pro, he put up a .901 save percentage and 2.81 GAA.
Akhtyamov was selected in the fourth round (126th overall) of the 2020 NHL Draft.
Stolarz was excellent in going 21-8-3 with a .926 save percentage and 2.14 goals-against average across his first campaign with Toronto, splitting the crease with Joseph Woll for most of 2024-25.
His numbers, however, sit well below that standard so far this season.
Stolarz, who signed a contract extension with an average annual value US$3.75 million through 2029-30 in training camp, had some decent performances early, but owns a 6-5-1 record, .884 save percentage and 3.51 GAA.
The 31-year-old missed time last season with a knee injury and was pressed into service a lot more than organization would have liked the first month of the current schedule due to Woll being away from the team for a “personal family matter.” The 27-year-old returned to the fold last week, but is currently on an AHL conditioning stint.
The Leafs have been a shell of themselves defensively compared to last season — Toronto is allowing an NHL-worst 3.82 goals per game compared to the 2.79 surrendered in 2024-25 — but Stolarz also hasn’t been close to his best on many nights.
And since calling out his teammates following a 4-3 overtime loss to the Seattle Kraken on Oct. 18, he’s gone 4-3-0 with an .876 save percentage and a 4.05 GAA.
Laughton, 31, has missed the last two games after suffering an upper-body injury on Saturday against the Boston Bruins. It was just his second game of the season after a separate injury held him out to start.
Elsewhere, defenceman Dakota Mermis will draw in for the Maple Leafs against the Kings. It is unclear who will come out in his place.
The game will mark Mermis’s third of the season.
–with files from The Canadian Press
