Maple Leafs goalie Anthony Stolarz expected to miss 4-6 weeks

TORONTO — Toronto Maple Leafs goaltender Anthony Stolarz will undergo knee surgery and miss four to six weeks, general manager Brad Treliving said Tuesday.

Stolarz left the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 win over visiting Anaheim on Thursday with a lower-body injury. He could be seen flexing his right leg after allowing the Ducks’ first goal in that game.

Treliving said an MRI found no structural damage, but Stolarz had discomfort and difficulty straightening his leg because of a loose body — a small piece of broken-off bone or cartilage.

“There was found almost like a little pebble that was stuck in behind his knee,” Treliving said.

Stolarz is set to undergo a procedure to remove the loose body on Wednesday in New York.

The 30-year-old was off to a strong start in his first season with the Maple Leafs with a 9-5-2 record, 2.15 goals-against average, .927 save percentage and one shutout.

“You don’t want to see anybody out, especially a goaltender that’s been playing well like that,” Treliving said. “But it has to get addressed, and we’re going to get it addressed.”

Stolarz, from Edison, New Jersey, signed a two-year, $5-million contract with Toronto in free agency after winning the Stanley Cup as a backup with the Florida Panthers. He has split time in the Leafs’ net this season with Joseph Woll.

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