For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter
*******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page. *******
The Toronto Maple Leafs begin their first lengthy road trip of the 2023-24 season against the Florida Panthers on Thursday in a rematch of the second-round playoff series that saw the upstart Panthers eliminate the favored Leafs in five games.
The five-game trip has Toronto playing both Florida squads in the Panthers and Tampa Bay Lightning, the Washington Capitals, the Dallas Stars, and the Nashville Predators over nine days.
Although there are not expected to be any lineup changes for Toronto with the exception of Ilya Samsonov returning to the crease after Joseph Woll playing against Chicago on Monday, winger Tyler Bertuzzi not participating in practice on Wednesday for maintenance purposes made head coach Sheldon Keefe juggle his line combinations.
While Noah Gregor skating with Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner and blueliner Simon Benoit slotting in at forward was necessitated by Bertuzzi’s absence, other adjustments appear to be more permanent. The combo of John Tavares and William Nylander will have their third left winger in four games, as rookie Matthew Knies was moved up to the second line, while Calle Jarnkrok shifted back to the third line with rookie Fraser Minten and Max Domi.
“I think Knies has a lot more to offer us,… Keefe said. “Players have to find their game individually, I’ve got to help them along with that. We have a lot of guys to introduce and get comfortable, all four of our left-wingers are new.…
Another significant move was the swap of Timothy Liljegren from the bottom pairing to the second pair with Jake McCabe, while veteran John Klingberg partnered with Mark Giordano.
*******
Please Subscribe to the Off The Post page on YouTube