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After missing six straight games, skating on his own most of the week and practicing with teammates for the first time since suffering a concussion in Pittsburgh on December 9, Leafs center Auston Matthews will make his return to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup against the New York Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Saturday.
The 20-year-old leads the Leafs in scoring with 26 points (13 goals, 13 assists) in spite of missing 10 games to injury and skated with regular linemates Zach Hyman and William Nylander at the morning skate in Manhattan.
“I just want to play hockey… Matthews said on Saturday. “As far as conditioning, it’s not totally going to be there, but hopefully throughout the first, second and third period it will get better and feel better each period.…
Based on the rather careful attention paid by the Leafs medical staff, it was thought that Matthews might be held out of the final game before the holiday break to give him another five days of non-contact, but head coach Mike Babcock indicated that it was their determination that he was ready to return.
“We have a medical group that decides all these things and (it has) nothing to do with me. We talked about all that obviously and they’ve gone way beyond probably what you could’ve done to give him all the time to be healthy.… Babcock said. (Matthews) is ready to go, so he’s going."
Ron Hainsey and Patrick Marleau did not take participate in the morning skate, as they were given some veteran dispensation, but both will be in the lineup against the Rangers, who lost 4-3 to New Jersey in a shootout on Thursday.
With the return of Matthews, Toronto’s forwards return to their usual alignment, as Marleau will play Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov, the unit of James van Riemsdyk, Tyler Bozak and Mitch Marner remains intact and Connor Brown returns to the fourth line with Matt Martin and Dominic Moore.
Frederik Andersen will get the start in goal for the Leafs and it is expected that Henrik Lundqvist will go for New York. Lundqvist allowed five goals in the first period of Toronto’s home opener on October 7 and was replaced by backup Ondrej Pavelec.
******* Final results of yesterday’s poll:
If the Leafs were to trade for a rental defenseman before the deadline, who would you choose??? (1700 votes)
Erik Gudbranson 68% No trading for rentals 14% Other UFA’s (such as Ian Cole) 11% Mike Green 7%
******* The number of Leafs prospects that will participate in the 2018 World Junior Championships in Buffalo was confirmed at three on Saturday, as Team Finland released their final roster and 2017 second round pick Eemeli Rasanen was among the eight defensemen selected.
Rasanen was selected 59th overall by Toronto at the 2017 NHL Draft in Chicago and has 22 points (3 goals, 19 assists) in 28 games for the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs. The 6’7…, 210 lb blueliner maybe in the mix for regular ice time in the tournament based on being the biggest defender and because Finland’s defensive corps is relatively young, with five 18-year-olds.
2016 third rounder Joseph Woll was selected as one of three goaltenders for Team USA, along with Dallas first rounder Jake Oettinger and Boston Bruins draftee Jeremy Swayman. Woll split time with Tyler Parsons in last year’s tournament and played against Canada during round robin play, but Parsons started in the gold medal game.
It is likely that Woll and Oettinger will split duties early in the tournament, but that the Leafs draft would be the go-to guy going into the medal round.
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