Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube has shared some exciting news with Leafs Nation regarding Anthony Stolarz and his recovery from knee surgery.

Early in December, Stolarz was injured against the Anaheim Ducks which forced Joseph Woll to replace him to being the second period.

A week later, Leafs GM Brad Treliving revealed that the former second-round pick would be undergoing knee surgery to remove what he called a “pebble” from his knee and that he would be out for at least four-to-six weeks.

That left most of the goaltending to Joseph Woll with the odd start going to either Matt Murray or Dennis Hildeby. Woll had been playing very well, winning five consecutive starts before a sub-par performance on Thursday against the Carolina Hurricanes.

Despite starting 8 of the Leafs’ last 10 games and having a few days off after Saturday’s contest, the Leafs are giving the start to Hildeby on Saturday to rest Woll up for Dallas on Tuesday.

Following the morning skate, where the decision to start Hildeby was made, Berube informed the media that the team is expecting Stolarz to return to the ice next week.

Stolarz will begin skating by himself, but the fact he is getting back on skates is music to the ears of the team and the fan base, given how concerning the numbers of Woll, Murray and Hildeby have been for stretches without the Stanley Cup Champion.

Depending how Stolarz progresses, it will be interesting to see if the Leafs bring him back into the fold before or after the 4 Nations Face-Off. That of course could also depend on the Leafs’ play to that point, but regardless, it is something to keep an eye on.