Stolarz had the best save percentage (.925) among NHL goaltenders who played over 25 games last season.

Anthony Stolarz is looking forward to getting started with the Maple Leafs.

The 30-year-old goaltender signed a two-year, $5 million deal with Toronto during NHL free agency in July after winning the Stanley Cup with the Florida Panthers no more than a few weeks prior.

Stolarz joined Nick Alberga and Jay Rosehill on Thursday for Leafs Morning Take, revealing why he chose the Maple Leafs, and what he expects from himself in what many call the biggest hockey market in the world.

“I just thought that Toronto was the best fit just in terms of an opportunity,” the goaltender said. “A team that is a very strong contender. And, you know, obviously going to a city like Toronto, it’s something I’m looking forward to and I’m really excited for it.”

The Maple Leafs are in a unique situation when it comes to goaltending. They’ve just signed a cup-winning netminder with a career .914 save percentage in just over 100 NHL games. Toronto also has Joseph Woll, who’s projected to be the organization’s goalie of the future and is under contract for another season at $766,667.

Stolarz worked with a veteran in Sergei Bobrovsky while with Florida, and is just as excited to get started with Woll when he arrives in Toronto.

“I’ve heard nothing but great things [about Woll]. He reached out when I first signed and we just kind of, you know, shot a little text over. We have the same agent and my agent had nothing but great things to say about him,” Stolarz said.

“I think Dakota Mermis, his dad coached him in St. Louis, I think, when we were together. So I kind of knew a little bit about him even before he, you know, was drafted and whatnot. So it’s an exciting opportunity and I’m looking forward to working with him.”

The netminder also said he knows quite a few players in the Maple Leafs organization already, including Oliver Ekman-Larsson, who was his teammate in Florida this past season, Simon Benoit, Jani Hakanpaa, and two former London Knights teammates in Max Domi and Mitch Marner.

“Yeah, a couple of guys, once I signed, reached out, you get to add to the team group chat. So, you get to meet some guys there real quick, just get some phone numbers,” Stolarz said. “And if you have any questions, you know, they said just reach out. But, you know, I’m definitely looking forward to getting to camp and kind of reconnecting with those guys.”

The biggest challenge for goaltenders, specifically in the Toronto market, is the pressure that comes along with the job. There’s always a constant demand for consistency in the net, whether from the media or the fans.

However, Stolarz, who calls himself “a pretty laid-back, easy-going guy,” says he’s looking forward to the challenge and will lean on past experiences in junior hockey.

“I’m just going to kind of, I guess, wing it and just go into it. But, you know, I did play for London and obviously that is a little different. But, you know, as an 18-year-old, you kind of get a little taste of it, you know, that big market,” he said.

“So, you know, it’s something that, you know, I’m actually looking forward to. I think it’s going to be a good opportunity for me. And, you know, I’m a pretty laid-back, easy-going guy. So I’m looking forward to it all.”