The Toronto Maple Leafs are finally getting some positive news regarding their injury situation. Matthew Knies, Chris Tanev, Anthony Stolarz, Brandon Carlo, Scott Laughton, Nicolas Roy, and superstar Auston Matthews have all been out of action in recent days due to various issues. As a result, Toronto has slid down to seventh in the Atlantic Division standings.
While a majority of these players remain out, three of them have returned to the ice. TSN’s Mark Masters is reporting that Roy took part in a morning skate on November 20. The forward has not featured for the Maple Leafs since suffering an upper-body injury against the Chicago Blackhawks on November 15. Laughton slotted back into the lineup as well.
In perhaps even bigger news, Masters has posted multiple videos to his X account showing Matthews participating in Toronto’s official practice. It is the first time that the superstar has skated with his teammates since November 11. Matthews previously went down with a lower-body problem that night.
The team’s most important player initially skated alone on November 20, before joining his teammates during their typical practice. Sportsnet’s Anna Dua also shared a snippet of Matthews sharing a lighthearted moment with head coach Craig Berube on the ice during the run-through.
Auston Matthews not Ready to Return to Action for the Toronto Maple Leafs Just yet
GettyThe Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled without Auston Matthews in the lineup.
Matthews and Roy officially returning to the ice is good news for the slumping Maple Leafs. The duo, however, will not feature in an NHL game just yet. Berube informed media members on November 19 that both players are set to miss Toronto’s November 20 matchup against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Matthews was previously expected to miss around a week of action due to his setback. Nevertheless, the earliest the star could play again for the Maple Leafs is November 22. This best-case scenario at the moment would be 11 days from when he suffered the initial injury.
The superstar’s imminent return will be welcomed news for the Maple Leafs and their fans. Toronto has managed to win just one of its last six games, including a five-game skid before an overtime win against the St. Louis Blues on November 18. The recent triumph is the lone victory for the Maple Leafs without Matthews since he went down.
News is not as positive regarding Stolarz, though. Berube informed the media on November 20, as reported by Dua, that the goalie’s injury is “worse than we thought.” The coach did not provide a timeframe for his return to the ice.
Leafs GM Still Open to Making Trade in Near Future
The Maple Leafs will hope that a healthy Laughton, Roy, and Matthews will give the team a much-needed boost. Along with the trio recovering from various injuries, the team brass is still looking to improve the roster via trades. It was reported on November 18 that the Leafs will listen to offers for all but four of their players. This exclusive list includes Matthews, as well as John Tavares, William Nylander, and Knies.
Despite this willingness to make a deal, Toronto does not have a particularly large prospect pool to entice other teams. Because of this, fans of the Leafs may only expect relatively minor deals to occur between now and the March 6 deadline. General manager Brad Treliving would likely prefer the team’s star players to help right the ship as soon as possible.
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