New development suggests the Toronto Maple Leafs need to trade Anthony Stolarz

Anthony Stolarz had a rough start to the season, and unfortunately for him, things have not gotten much better over the last few months.

He is dealing with a mysterious upper-body injury, and there is currently no timeline on his return, which is a major red flag for this Maple Leafs roster.

If you are a Leafs fan, you are probably very worried about the goaltender, especially when you consider how the Leafs gave him a not-insignificant contract extension in the summer.

Thankfully, Dennis Hildeby has been playing extremely well in relief of Stolarz. In fact, he stopped 22 out of 23 shots last night against the Philadelphia Flyers, which garnered a substantial amount of praise.

With Hildeby playing spirited hockey right now, and Joseph Woll also carrying his weight, there are some who feel like Stolarz might need to be traded.

Quite frankly, that would not be a bad idea. Of course, he would need to get healthy before the Maple Leafs could actually do that.

If Stolarz does get healthy before the trade deadline, the Toronto Maple Leafs will have an interesting choice to make, especially as teams around the league are desperate for goalies.

The Ottawa Senators recently recruited James Reimer, which just goes to show that there aren't a ton of good netminders available right now.

Teams need real solutions, and Stolarz can be that for contending rosters. The Leafs could get quite a bit in return, and if Woll and Hildeby continue to play like this, it becomes clear that Stolarz is not needed.

That may seem like a harsh assessment, but given what we have seen this season, it's not far off the mark.

Also read on Blade of steel :
The Maple Leafs' latest roster move has major implications for William Nylander