Matthews, McDavid may have to sit out

Keefe changes lines in case COVID-19 keeps Leaf away

The marquee matchup of the week — Auston Matthews versus Connor McDavid — may have to go on without the headliners.

While the Maple Leafs and Edmonton Oilers prepared for Wednesday night’s game, each practising at the Ford Performance Centre, they did so without their best players due to COVID-19.

Matthews missed his second Leafs practice in a row, held out Tuesday for precautionary reasons over mixed results with his COVID tests. Matthews remains in the mix to play against the Oilers if the result of a third test comes back negative Wednesday morning.

Matthews tested positive with a rapid antigen test Monday, forcing him to miss practice. The results of the more accurate PCR test proved negative, but a second test is necessary, according to NHL protocols.

“We’ll have to wait on that at this point,” Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said. “He is not ruled out.”

Meanwhile, McDavid and fellow Oilers centre Derek Ryan tested positive Tuesday, and both await further testing to see if they can play in Toronto. Both had tested negative on Monday, allowing them to cross the border from the United States.

“The way things are going here,” Oilers coach Dave Tippett said. “Just a daily occurrence, when you’re playing as many cities and there’s different rules everywhere you go. We were in New York City, there’s one rule; Long Island, there’s another rule; New Jersey, another. It’s crazy.

“They just tell me if he’s positive, he’s positive.”

Leafs captain John Tavares took Matthews’ spot on the top line between Michael Bunting and Mitch Marner. Bunting took Matthews’ spot on the top power play with Tavares, Marner, William Nylander and Morgan Rielly.

“We practised different things here today, preparing in the event that we wouldn’t have Auston just so that we’re not caught off guard,” said Keefe.

Ondrej Kaše also missed practice, due to an undisclosed injury suffered in the gym just before the team took to the ice.

Leafs assistant coach Dean Chynoweth also tested positive for the coronavirus.