Maple Leafs Get Major Reinforcements Back in the Lineup

It’s been a rough stretch for the Toronto Maple Leafs. Losing seven of their last eight games has plummeted the injury-riddled and beleaguered team to rock bottom in the Eastern Conference. But a boatload of good news from the infirmary on Wednesday, as top liners Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies are both returning to the lineup, as is Nic Roy, for their game against the Columbus Blue Jackets Wednesday night.

If any team needed some news like this, it’s the Leafs. And while the two offensive stars might not improve the team’s woeful defensive metrics a huge amount, it should, at the very least, serve as an adrenaline boost for the flagging team.

How bad have things gotten for the Buds? As James Mirtle notes in The Athletic, the team has as much of a chance of getting a Top-10 pick in the lottery as it does of making the playoffs (34% either way). Of course, the Leafs don’t own their own pick in next year’s draft unless it’s in the Top 5. They made sure of that by dealing it to the Boston Bruins in the Brandon Carlo trade.

Leafs struggled without Matthews in the lineup

As for the captain, he has missed the last five games. The Leafs went 1-2-2 in his absence, and scoring was a real issue. Granted, at 14 points in the 17 games he has played, he wasn’t exactly the Matthews of old. They need him to really step up and take the bull by the horns for this team.

“Today’s a new day,” said Matthews after announcing his return to the lineup. “I think we’re excited to be on the road, be out here together for an extended period of time, and it’s a great opportunity for us to find our way through adversity.”

Matthews suffered a lower-body injury after taking a hefty hit from Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov in a game against the Boston Bruins on Nov. 11.

Knies, one of the few bright spots this season, was taking his game to another level before he got hurt. He’s recorded 17 assists and 22 points in 19 games, while doling out 50 hits and raising his time on ice to 20:33. All of those numbers are on pace for career bests. He’s missed the last three games due to a lower-body injury that’s been bothering him for some time. He feels confident that the rest has helped it to resolve.

Nic Roy joins Matthews & Knies returning to the Leafs lineup

Roy has also been out for the last three games. His performance this season has been a disappointment since coming over from the Vegas Golden Knights. He was the Leafs’ lone return in the Mitch Marner sign-and-trade in the summer.

Toronto has averaged just 2.4 goals per game in the five games Matthews has been out, and with the troubles they’ve faced on the blueline this season (due both to injuries and poor play), it’s hoped that an offensive boost from their former Hart Trophy winner, along with Knies, can help mitigate that.

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