As the Toronto Maple Leafs prepare to face the Pittsburgh Penguins tonight following a disappointing 3-1 loss to the Washington Capitals, the team is looking for a bounce-back performance.
Despite a string of injuries, the Maple Leafs have maintained a strong record of 16-8-2 this season. There is, however, some good news regarding the health of some injured key players.
Max Pacioretty will return to the lineup tonight, replacing rookie Nikita Grebenkin. In addition, there are updates on the statuses of Max Domi and Jake McCabe, coming straight from Craig Berube himself.
According to David Alter on X:
The return of Domi and McCabe will undoubtedly be a boost for the Maple Leafs. However, with the team's deep roster, some solid players will likely have to sit out when they return, meaning some tough decisions may be made by Tuesday.
Domi, McCabe, Pacioretty, and Bobby McMann were all sidelined with injuries in recent weeks, but Toronto's depth has allowed them to remain competitive, which, in turn, allowed the team to take their time with these players, and Auston Matthews, during their respective recoveries.
Unfortunately, it's not all good news on the injury front for the Leafs, as top prospect Eason Cowan sustained an injury on a brutal hit near center ice against the Oshawa Generals on Friday.
There aren't many teams who have dealt with the same number of injuries as the Leafs have thus far this season. Hopefully the team can put those issues behind them and remain mostly healthy the rest of the way.
POLL | ||
7 DECEMBRE | 2347 ANSWERS Maple Leafs Appear to Confirm Recent Report on Max Domi and Jake McCabe Do you think the Maple Leafs will make a trade within the next week to open up some salary and a roster spot? | ||
Yes | 921 | 39.2 % |
No | 1426 | 60.8 % |
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