Toronto Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving delivered mixed injury news during Tuesday’s press conference. On the one hand, Leafs fans got encouraging news. On the other hand, fans didn’t get to hear what they wanted.
Treliving delivered relatively encouraging news regarding captain Auston Matthews. While Matthews was not in the lineup on Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues, there’s hope the Maple Leafs’ best player could rejoin the club soon.
Treliving stated:
“He’s coming along… He skated this morning again. We’ve listed him as day to day…”
Treliving dared to offer a potential timeline for the star’s return, declaring:
“I don’t anticipate too, too long. But probably Tuesday and Thursday are part of the question at this point.”
Based on that timeline, Matthews could be back for the Maple Leafs’ next game on Thursday night against the Columbus Blue Jackets at Scotiabank Arena. Otherwise, Matthews could be back on Saturday night in Montreal as the Leafs take on the Canadiens.
The Maple Leafs pulled out a gutsy win on Tuesday night against the Blues despite a decimated lineup. So, getting Matthews back will be a huge boost for the team.
Maple Leafs Have Hazy Timeline for Injured Blueliner
The other less-than-encouraging bit of news came regarding injured blueliner Chris Tanev. Tanev has been out since November 1 after a frightening collision with Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov.
Treliving, unfortunately, could not provide a clear timeline on Tanev’s return. The vague comments suggest the 35-year-old Maple Leafs defenseman could be out for a much longer period.
Treliving stated:
“Chris Tanev, in terms of, you know, clarifying a little bit more of a clear return date. We miss Chris, you know, at the end of the day, the reality is it’s hard to replace top people right now.”
While Tanev has already returned to the ice in practice, he doesn’t appear to be anywhere near returning to game action.
The Maple Leafs claimed Troy Stecher off waivers earlier this week as a means of replacing Tanev. Stecher debuted on Tuesday night, playing a solid defensive game. While replacing a high-end defensive defenseman like Tanev is not easy, Stecher has given the Leafs some much-needed stability in the back end.
That will be key, especially if Tanev is gone much longer than anticipated. Check out Treliving’s comments from the 11:07 mark onwards.
Toronto Loses Another Forward on Tuesday Night
The Maple Leafs played with several non-regulars on Tuesday night. One of them, Sammy Blais, left the game after playing just 6:31 across 10 shifts. Blais got an assist on Steven Lorentz’s second-period goal.
Blais was not on the bench for the Maple Leafs in the third period. There is no word on what happened to the Leafs’ fourth-liner. Blais was a waiver claim at the end of training camp. He’s been a decent bottom-six player, showing plenty of Moxey.
Further word on Blais’ situation should be forthcoming on Wednesday. The Maple Leafs will have a breather before hitting the ice against the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night.
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