OldTimeHockey
Well-known member
It's great that we broke up the "core four".... But I hope everyone realizes that it's still a team with a "core four". It's just weaker now.
2025-26 Toronto Maple Leafs General Discussion
- Thread starter herman
- Start date
L K
Well-known member
Is there any confirmation that mental health can't be treated strictly as an LTIR issue? I deal with insurance paperwork on a pretty regular basis for disability assessments and while Mental health and physical injuries often get different forms it's still handled in the same way. Could the PAP be optional in a mental health situation?
Again that's purely spitballing on things and I'm not trying to get into actual injury speculation
I do not claim expertise in this but my understanding was Player Assistance is confidential and voluntary. If Woll didn't volunteer for that program ... and sought mental health treatment privately for example, Player Assistance wouldn't or may not come into play but that would not eliminate a mental health issue. He would be electing to go another path as is his right.
We don't have an upper or lower body injury report - nor any witness of an injury occurring. His equipment is still in his locker. He has a medical history with mental health. The team has been very tight lipped about what is going on "he's back when he's back". And now, we find out he is on LTIR which you don't typically do for personal leave when someone else in the family is ill and when there has never been a report of upper or lower body injury.
When I join those dots, I can't exclude a mental health issue. In fact, with this news, it seems more likely.
David Alter is claiming that it's a salary cap optimization thing..
Why the Maple Leafs Placed Joseph Woll on Long-Term Injured Reserve
Joseph Woll's LTIR designation was a strategic to make room for Dakota Mermis' call-up. Woll's status remains unchanged.
thehockeynews.com
…but also that could simply be the party line.
So any team can arbitrarily put a player on LTIR as "a salary cap optimization thing" without any doctors, etc.David Alter is claiming that it's a salary cap optimization thing..
Why the Maple Leafs Placed Joseph Woll on Long-Term Injured Reserve
Joseph Woll's LTIR designation was a strategic to make room for Dakota Mermis' call-up. Woll's status remains unchanged.
…but also that could simply be the party line.
That is a twist to the CBA I certainly hadn't contemplated or heard of.
I guess I mistakenly thought the player had to be injured or ill ...
I wouldn't really jump to any conclusions here. Players have been on LTIR for non-injury reasons before (Drouin during his mental health break, Nichushkin during his suspension). The wording of the rule might not fully support things like that but obviously Bettman and the league are allowed to approve it when the situation arises and it's obviously clear the team isn't trying to circumvent anything.
Well odd timing consisting the LTIR placement earlier today, but again that was only done because the Leafs needed the additional cap space with so many injuries piling up.
He'll be required to miss 10 games still so that would put his earliest possible return game against Columbus next week. I'd guess he'd need a little more time to get up to speed though, with maybe even a short conditioning stint on the Marlies.
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herman
Well-known member
Hurray
Timing is a touch sucky, since they needed to LTIR Woll for the Tanev injury, but whatever. Woll needs time to ramp up anyway.
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I doubt the LTIR restriction would even impact his return. I would guess he needs at least a week long mini-camp. The Marlies play at home on Wednesday, so maybe he gets that as a conditioning stint game and backs up on Saturday.
I have a gripe with this.
The 2024-25 Leafs finished 4th overall in points and took the Cup champs to a 7th game in the 2nd round
... when their captain and best player, by his own admission, was injured and even upon return, was clearly not up to performing as their best player - significantly below it as we have all seen. He still is not up to his past level and we're witnessing the impact of that to the start of this season.
The key post mortem point by the GM was the team needed a "DNA change" - which is effectively an assault on the character of the roster in my opinion. Maybe it is just me but I think a healthy captain would have been a pretty big reason too - at the very least. It looks like that is a bigger issue the "DNA change" has yet to overcome.
Has anyone in the media asked the players if they thought they needed a DNA change? The coach?
Every start to a season can have its bumps. Maybe it is too early but I'm more uneasy about the start to this season. Not a great vibe. Then you look at the recent tossed salad approach to putting the lines together and one could get the sense the coach, like the rest of us, isn't too comfortable with what he's seeing either. Makes me wonder.
Maybe contrary to his numbers, I think Stolarz has been playing better than the skaters in front of him.
Woll can't play until Nov 1 at the earliest due to LTIR.
There are only two back to backs in November - first one on November 8th-9th.
So he's got time to get into game shape before there's much impact on the team - as long as Stolarz stays healthy and plays decently.