If you’ve been watching this team for a while, you know the Toronto maple leaves go through stretches where it feels like the entire roster is being held together with tape, hoops and borrowed players from the third row of the press box. Tuesday night against the St. Louis Blues was one of those nights. There were seven regulars missing, the bench looked like a skeleton crew, and yet somehow the Maple Leafs found a way to drag themselves through a game they probably didn’t need to win.
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What struck me was not just who was out, but how normal the team looked. They didn’t seem to panic. No body language with slumped shoulders. Just a curated lineup that understood the mission: don’t sink.
And by the end of the game, as William Nylander’s overtime winner hung in the air like a sigh of relief, you realized the story of the night wasn’t the injuries themselves. It was the way the team kept pushing no matter what.
Still, the team is missing important players. Who is gone and what is the forecast for their returns?
Player One: Matthew Knies – Lower Body (Day to Day)
Matthew Knies was scratched just before the puck dropped from a lower-body adjustment, something the team dismissed as “nothing for the long term” but serious enough that it wasn’t an option. He’s everyday, which in Leafs parlance usually means, “We’ll try again tomorrow and see if he can push off without wincing.”
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His absence also meant that the dominoes started to fall again. Suddenly, Sammy Blais, who probably thought he was having an uneventful night all afternoon, was thrown into the lineup. That’s the rhythm of these weeks for the Maple Leafs: one guy goes down, another steps in, and everyone hopes the whole thing doesn’t become a game of musical chairs with ice bags. The team isn’t worried about Knies, but you never want to lose that mix of size and straightforward energy that he brings. When he’s out of the lineup, you feel it.
Player Two: Sammy Blais – Undisclosed (early game exit)
Blais had one of those nights you wouldn’t wish on anyone. He got hit hard, went to the couch and suddenly he spits blood and walks into the tunnel. At that point you think, “Well, that’s it, he’s gone for a while.” As noted, he was only in the lineup because Knies couldn’t go. That’s the kind of luck the Maple Leafs have been experiencing lately: one guy goes down, the next gets in, and half an hour later he’s gone too.
But credit to Blais: the man came back faster than anyone expected. On Wednesday, he was on the iceand told reporters that the scans were clean and he was good to go. It looked a lot scarier than it turned out to be. He even broke a dry spell with an assist against his old team (the Blues). Once the lineup starts to get healthy again, he’ll likely slide back into the extra-forward mix. For now, he fills that third-line role with Jacob Quillan, doing the work and giving the team one less thing to worry about in a week full of them.
Player Three: Auston Matthews – Lower Body (Doubtful for Thursday)
General manager (GM) Brad Treliving didn’t bother with sugar to help the drug go down. Auston Matthews He probably won’t be on the ice on Thursday. The good news? Both the general manager and the medical staff are optimistic that he is close. If all goes well, Saturday in Montreal seems like a realistic goal.
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It’s been a long week waiting for a player who can tilt a game without even breaking a sweat. His nine goals, five assists and his presence on the ice draw defenders to him; its kind of gravity makes the rest of the setup feel more secure. When he is released, the Maple Leafs won’t just be getting back a scorer; they get a lodestar for everything around him. Until then, it’s like the Maple Leafs are sailing with a missing rudder, hoping the rest of the crew can keep the ship afloat.
Player Four: Nicolas Roy – Upper Body (a few games out)
Head coach Craig Berube does not expect Nicolas Roy back for either game this week. “A few games” was the phrase, which would likely extend his return to November 26. Tough timing, as Roy started to find his rhythm and freed up a little corner of the lineup where he could make plays and feel confident.
You could tell Roy was finally comfortable with his measurements, timing and puck movement. It was the kind of groove every player hopes to achieve with a new team. Now he’ll have to pause that momentum and pick it up again when he returns. It must be frustrating for him, and for the Maple Leafs. The team began to see glimpses of what he could add.
Player Five: Chris Tanev – Upper Body (at least one more week)
Missing Chris Tanev is like missing the guy who is quietly holding back the entire blue line. He’s back to light work, but he’s still a long way from full action. Treliving said they will “know more within a week,” meaning there won’t be a return until early next week at the earliest.
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With Brandon Carlo already out, the steadying influence that Tanev could have when he played – positioning, calmness under pressure, the kind of presence that allows the other defenders to play with confidence – is really missed. The Maple Leafs feel his absence every time the puck comes towards their goalie.
Player six: Anthony Stolarz – lower body (still unavailable)
Stolarz is still sidelined and there is still no clear timetable. The goalkeeper has not reached his usual level this season; Last season he was among the top in save percentage in the NHL and was a real stabilizing force. Part of that was due to the tandem he formed with Joseph Woll. The pair provided a comforting blanket as the team’s last line of defense, the kind of combo that can help a team skate through the season with confidence.
If they don’t get back together and find that rhythm, the Maple Leafs are in for a rougher ride. Without such a duo it is almost impossible to reach the play-offs. The good news? Woll is playing lights out in his first two games back, and that takes a huge burden off everyone’s shoulders. Still, the team can only hope that Stolarz and Woll pick up where they left off, because together they are the kind of netminding duo that can carry a season.
Player Seven: Brandon Carlo — Undisclosed (away)
Carlo is the kind of defenseman who quietly makes life easier for everyone else on the ice. Last season he had a great tandem with Morgan Rielly, and together they shut down some of the nastiest forwards in the league. He’s not flashy or highlight-reel scorer, but he’s the kind of reliable, stay-at-home defense that keeps a team in games.
That kind of steady play will be necessary if the Maple Leafs want to go far during the regular season. Right now, with Carlo unavailable and on the shelf with Tanev, the right side of the blue line is stretched thinner than a rental stick when shiny. The team will have to lean on others to pick up the slack until he returns, and that won’t be easy.
Can the Maple Leafs continue to survive this?
The honest answer is that the team can survive these injuries for a while, but they need to keep putting in the team effort they showed on Tuesday night. You can’t lose your number one center, two top four defenders, a key striker, your 1A goalkeeper and a few regulars from the bottom six without feeling it. Most teams would crumble under that kind of weight.
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But the Maple Leafs didn’t look like a team going to war against the Blues. They looked like a group that understood their shortcomings, their situation and the urgency of the moment. Woll was steady, the depth players contributed, John Tavares fought like a man with something to prove, and Nylander stole the lead with one brilliant touch.
If they can hold on until Matthews and Knies return, and if Tanev isn’t too far behind, they might be able to ride this tough stretch without wrecking the season. For now, at least, they’ve proven they can weather the storm.
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