Samuel Hlavaj sits fourth on Toronto’s goaltending depth chart, but that label can be misleading. For the Slovakian netminder, the path to a much bigger role this season may not require chaos everywhere in front of him. It might only take one injury.
Hlavaj, who turned heads at the Olympics this past year, is expected to spend the season with the Marlies as Artur Akhtyamov’s backup. That’s the plan on paper. But the way Toronto’s goalie hierarchy is set up, that spot comes with a real opening if things start shifting above him.
At the top are Sergei Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz, with Akhtyamov and Hlavaj listed behind them at three and four. If Bobrovsky or Stolarz misses time, Akhtyamov would be the obvious choice to move up and get NHL action. That would leave Hlavaj in line to become the Marlies’ No. 1 almost immediately, turning him from organizational depth into the starter for a professional team.
So even though he’s listed fourth, Hlavaj doesn’t need four goalies to go down for his season to change in a hurry. One absence at the NHL level could be enough to put him in a far more important spot.
There’s also a more dramatic possibility. If Bobrovsky and Stolarz were both hurt at the same time, Toronto would need two goaltenders.
Akhtyamov would likely be first in line, and Hlavaj could be the second option. Depending on recall rules, contracts, and the Leafs’ situation, he might be the easiest call in a pinch.
For now, Hlavaj is expected to work in the minors and develop. But the depth chart gives him a very real route to the NHL if multiple goalie injuries hit Toronto. He may be fourth on paper, but he’s not as far from the conversation as that number suggests.
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