Paul Bissonnette sees a playoff sleeper in Toronto – if they get healthy: Leafs Morning Take

That’s where the conversation started on Friday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take. At this point, OEL, who left the game with a lower-body injury, is hopeful he can play against Edmonton. Looking at the injury in real time, there was serious concern that the Swede, who has been Toronto’s best D this season, could miss significant time. Great on that front. Additionally, we discussed some updates for Brandon Carlo and Chris Tanev. It just feels like every time the Leafs get someone back, someone else goes down. The injury bug has hit this team hard this season.

Anyway, we got a full analysis and breakdown of their 3-2 OT loss to San Jose. Firstly, they gained a point, so that means the points streak is now six games (4-0-2). That said, there’s no doubt they let that game slip away. John Klingberg tied the score with 1:25 left in regulation, then Alex Wennberg potted the OT winner. And yes, we did discuss William Nylander and Auston Matthews’ puck carelessness late in the game. In short: The Leafs have to find a way to win games like this. They controlled the night, but ultimately fell just short of two points. Dennis Hildeby was fantastic again with 29 saves. Meanwhile, the Joshua-Roy-Nylander trio actually looked pretty good. Overall, despite the ugly last few shifts, Nylander had a great rebounding effort after being demoted to the third line. The Leafs even scored a power play goal, which was great to see. Plus, we quickly talked about Henry Thrun’s Leafs debut. We didn’t notice him that much, so that’s good.

Then along came the incomparable Paul Bissonnette. All in all, he still has the PASSION. Biz broke down the OT loss, his thoughts on Nylander/Matthews, and where he thinks the Leafs are headed long-term. Plus, he talked about what he thinks this team needs. He also discussed OEL’s evolution as a player, the wrestling power play and the Nylander-Berube dynamic. Finally, Biz dissected the crease and how he thinks it could be smart for the Leafs to use one of their goalies as a potential trade chip for the future.

Finally, we took a look at the Oilers who rolled into town on Saturday. Troy Stecher plays against his former team for the first time. In the meantime, it will be fascinating to see if Tristan Jarry, Edmonton’s new No. 1 goalie, gets the call. Bobby McMann will likely withdraw after serving his one-match suspension. The Alberta native scored five goals in four career games against the Oilers.

Zack Phillips and Jay Rosehill host Monday’s edition of Leafs Morning Take. Join them as they recap the Leafs/Oilers and look ahead to the final game of Toronto’s five-game homestand on Tuesday night against Chicago.