Practice resumes, taxi squad assists
Tavares and Marner back on the ice, but now Wednesday’s game called off
The Maple Leafs have had another game postponed, presenting an extended opportunity to get their roster healthy enough to play again.
Wednesday’s scheduled home date against the Pittsburgh Penguins was among three NHL postponements announced late Sunday night. It’s the sixth Leafs game to be called off so far, with the league experiencing a rash of new COVID-19 cases — including in Toronto — and the Leafs clearly needing more time to meet minimum roster requirements.
Sunday started with the news that defenceman Jake Muzzin had become the 14th Leafs player in league protocols. But they also got some good news before their first practice in a week.
Captain John Tavares returned after passing all the required tests. Tavares tested positive on the Leafs’ Western road swing almost two weeks ago.
And Mitch Marner, out since suffering a suspected shoulder injury in a Dec. 3 practice, also practised. It’s believed the Leafs’ six postponed games will count toward the minimum 10 (or 24 days) that the winger is required to sit out on long-term injured reserve.
Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas, though, couldn’t guarantee the Leafs would have been able to ice a full team if Wednesday’s game had gone ahead. The GM added that forwards Wayne Simmonds, Jason Spezza and Alex Kerfoot — among the first Leafs in protocols, with Tavares — are due back at practice Monday, if they pass cardiac tests.
There were 11 forwards, five defencemen and two goalies at Sunday’s practice. Five players — goalie Joseph Woll, defencemen Alex Biega, Carl Dahlstrom and Filip Kral, and forward Kyle Clifford — arrived from the taxi squad, which was restored for NHL teams over the weekend.
While the return of Simmonds, Spezza and Kerfoot would boost the Leafs’ chances of meeting the roster minimum, the biggest question mark will be in goal. No. 1 Jack Campbell and primary backup Petr Mrázek remain under protocols, while Ian Scott — who practised Sunday — is still recovering from injury. As of Sunday, Woll was the only healthy goalie under contract.
With teams reconvening for the first time since the extended holiday break began last Tuesday, 44 new cases were reported Sunday — including on four teams that had reported no cases until then: Dallas, Tampa, Pittsburgh and Anaheim.
The Leafs’ next scheduled game is Saturday against the Ottawa Senators at Scotiabank Arena.
It remains to be seen if the Leafs’ concerns about the possibility of playing Wednesday will still apply on Saturday.
“I don’t believe we’d have enough defencemen to play,” Dubas said before the Penguins game was postponed. “And also, we’d be short one goaltender. Ian Scott practised, but he is still on injured reserve. Joe Woll practised, but we’d still be short one or two (goalies), the way things shake out.
“(Marner’s) status is that his rehab was upended by the pause ... he’s not a player we’d rush along whatsoever. So, it’s tough to predict at this point.”
Meanwhile, the GM said head coach Sheldon Keefe, assistant Spencer Carbery and goalie coach Steve Briere — also in protocols — were doing well and could return to the team Tuesday, pending final test results.
The Leafs’ ability to take advantage of the benefits of a travelling taxi squad — up to six players — stocked with AHL reinforcements is severely limited by the fact that 24 Marlies players and seven members of the coaching and support staffs are in protocols. The squads, also used during the shortened 2020-21 season, are in effect until at least the February all-star break.
There has been speculation that the entire league might extend the current holiday pause until New Year’s Day, but the NHL’s Sunday night release included just three additional postponements.