FORT LAUDERDALE, Fla. — The wait is over. After nine games out with an undisclosed upper-body injury, Auston Matthews is set to return to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup for a crucial game on Saturday against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
“In my mind, I’m playing tomorrow and I’m excited to be back,” Matthews said after practice Friday afternoon.
Matthews centred a new-look top line with Matthew Knies and William Nylander during Friday’s practice. Matthews also took his spot on a five-forward top power-play unit.
Leafs head coach Craig Berube had said previously that the team was looking for the captain’s stamina to return to appropriate levels and to make sure Matthews felt comfortable to play.
Judging from how quick Matthews looked — and how well he got his shot off — in a short but intense practice Friday, the Leafs seemed to have all the answers they needed.
“We’ve missed him,” Berube said. “He’s been out a while. It’s great to have him back. He looks really good out there, a lot of energy, skating well, moving well.”
Nerves? Don’t bet on it from the reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner.
“It’s just more so excitement,” Matthews said. “I didn’t forget how to play hockey over the last three weeks. But obviously there’s going to be a little bit of rust.”
Matthews’ injury has been surrounded by a level of mystery. It’s been labelled an upper-body injury by the Leafs, who also disclosed that Matthews travelled to Germany with a team doctor to seek treatment. That visit, which is uncustomary by NHL players midseason, led to heightened interest.
Both Matthews and Leafs general manager Brad Treliving declined to specifically name the injury. But the lengthy absence and the Germany trip paired with Matthews’ place as the captain and face of one of the most-discussed teams in the league has raised further questions about the public’s right to more specific details about professional athletes’ injuries.
“I don’t think there’s really any secrecy,” Matthews said. “I don’t think we did anything outside of the rules of providing information to (the media) and the NHL. I think it gets a little bit blown out of proportion with the marketplace and you guys being a little bit nosy. I think it’s my choice whether or not I want to share the extent of the injury.”
With Matthews returning to the ice, perhaps questions about his injury will subside.
“I think it’s been made out to be a bigger deal than it is. I don’t really care. It’s up to you guys to talk about it and do your thing. In the end, I’ve just got to focus on myself and focus on the team and being the best I can.”
Matthew Knies has missed the Leafs’ last two games with injury. (John E. Sokolowski / Imagn Images)
Knies also likely to return
The Leafs also look likely to see the return of Matthew Knies.
The left winger missed the Leafs’ last two games after being on the receiving end of a controversial hit from Vegas Golden Knights defenceman Zach Whitecloud in a Nov. 20 Leafs win.
“Hopefully he’ll be in tomorrow, we’ll see. The signs all point in that direction. (Knies) looked really good too,” Berube said.
While all signs point to Knies’ injury being a concussion, given that Whitecloud landed his hit toward Knies’ head, the Leafs forward declined to name the injury.
“I put myself in a tough scenario. I was trying to get the puck (into the offensive zone) and you’ve got to keep your head up,” Knies said.
Knies said Whitecloud apologized to him after the game. Whitecloud was not penalized or disciplined by the league on the hit.
“I’ve got to trust the league in the sense that they got the play right,” Knies said. “I don’t think (Whitecloud) was intending to hurt me.”
The returns of Knies and Matthews led to some new-look forward lines the Leafs will likely roll out against the Lightning:
Knies-Matthews-Nylander
Holmberg-Tavares-Marner
Robertson-Minten-Lorentz
Steeves-Dewar-Grebenkin
Alex Nylander projects to be a healthy scratch.
A return to the five-forward power play
The Leafs returned to a five-forward top power play during Friday’s practice featuring Matthews, Mitch Marner, Knies, William Nylander and John Tavares. It’s a look they’ve used at times earlier this season and one they look likely to move back to against the Lightning.
“Just the puck movement and quickness of it all,” Berube said when discussing what he liked about a five-forward top power-play unit. “I really like Knies at the net and I really like (Tavares) in the bumper.”
While the first unit of the Leafs power play might look different against the Lightning, what won’t look any different for the time being is William Nylander’s role with the man advantage.
As of late, William Nylander has been staying out on the power play across both units. Nylander’s 3:51 of power-play TOI was the most of any Leaf against the Panthers on Wednesday night.
Nylander’s ice time was a topic of conversation early in the season as his ATOI saw a decline compared to last season. But as a result of the increased power-play time, William Nylander’s ATOI has steadily increased throughout the last three weeks.
And Berube didn’t miss an opportunity to deadpan his way through questions about Nylander and how he’s faring playing over entire two-minute power plays.
“(William Nylander) likes it. He’s got his ice time up. That’s key. You’ve got to get them minutes up,” Berube said before laughing.
“He’s the type of guy who can handle it,” Berube added. “He’s dangerous. He makes the second unit better. That’s the bottom line.”
What’s next for Nick Robertson?
The pressure is ramping up on Nick Robertson to produce. The winger hit a post again against the Panthers on Wednesday. After a lights-out preseason, he still has just one goal through 19 regular season games.
With his Leafs teammates returning from injury, it’s worth wondering how long Robertson can remain in the lineup without more production. He’s a proven goal scorer, with 14 goals in 56 games last season. But his goal to round out his game remains a work in progress. And without his world-class shot finding the back of the net, it feels like the heat is ramping up around the winger.
The Leafs are looking for Robertson to perhaps use his shot less and get closer to the goal to start producing more regularly.
“The positive side of it all is (Robertson) just keeps working, which is good,” Berube said. “Even today in practice, he’s a very hard worker and he wants to do well. When I watch Nick, he’s got to get around the net a little bit more and find some dirty goals. Sometimes when you’re snake-bitten like that, your shot is not going in, you’ve got to get greasy around the net.”
After a relatively relaxed schedule, the Leafs are about to face a busier stretch. Their game against the Lightning on Saturday will be the start of five games in eight days.
And it’s unlikely Bobby McMann returns to the ice early in that stretch. McMann left Wednesday’s game against the Florida Panthers with what the team is calling a lower-body injury.
“It’s still day-to-day lower body. Timeline? I guess it’s hard for me to tell you exactly, because it’s like, how he’s going to feel day to day. But he’s out right now. I wouldn’t expect him back for a couple of games,” Berube said.
McMann has remained with the team in Florida and was seen Friday once again walking without crutches or a walking boot. At the very least, these are positive signs for his eventual return.
(Top photo: Aaron Doster / Imagn Images)
