The Maple Leafs practiced at the Ford Performance Center on Monday.
John Tavares fully participated in the training and did not feel restricted in any way.
“I wanted to get out of there and compete as usual,” said the 32-year-old center. “I tried to have that mindset. It was good to go out there and not be measured or feel my way through things and I think I hit those boxes, checked them.”
Will Tavares, who suffered an oblique strain early in training camp, play Wednesday’s regular season opener in Montreal?
“Everything has turned out really well, so hopefully that’s the case,” said Tavares. “The opportunities are probably just growing with each passing day… I want to be a part of it more than anyone, but also understand the big picture.”
“He’s encouraged,” said coach Sheldon Keefe. “If all goes well for the rest of the day, he will come to tomorrow’s practice as if he were preparing for the game.”
“He looked great,” said linemate William Nylander. “We’ve also had some really nice games out there so hopefully he’ll be acquitted.”
Tavares was originally scheduled to miss the start of the regular season, but the Leafs captain is ahead of schedule.
“Sometimes the body takes a little longer than you’d like,” Keefe noted, “in this case it seems a little quicker.”
Tavares suffered a more serious oblique injury in spring 2019 that cost him a chance to compete in the World Cup.
“Compared to what I had last time, it felt more like a bruise than a muscle strain,” Tavares said. “Right from the start I was able to achieve a lot. Of course I’m not skating for the first week, but I was able to do some stuff at the gym on the rehab side and keep fit. So, I was really happy with that.”
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If Tavares fails to dress on Wednesday, the Leafs will be a man short in Montreal because of the team’s strained salary cap situation.
“We’re ready for that,” Keefe confirmed. “We knew there could be predicaments like this… We’ve had several teams in the league that play briefly and I’m sure it will happen again this season. If we look at the big picture and long term, we feel like added players [Calle] Jarnkrok was something we wanted to do. That’s why we get into those kinds of situations, but that certainly doesn’t make it any easier.”
Jarnkrok signed a four-year, $2.1 million cap-hit deal that summer. Toronto’s roster is just $4 below cap, according to CapFriendly.com, with Timothy Liljegren (hernia surgery Sept. 16) and Jordie Benn (groin injury Sept. 28) on long-term injured reserve. Benn was spotted on the ice on Monday but has not skated with teammates since his injury. Liljegren is out until November.
Toronto maple #leaves forever roster is:
Cap hit: $84,649,996
Cap: $0
LTIR usage: $2,149,996
Roster Size: 20 (12F – 6D – 2G)As expected, their LTIR squad is only $4 off the cap! The best LTIR placement we’ve ever seen! https://t.co/jFoYQjJAze
— CapFriendly (@CapFriendly) October 10, 2022
Calle Jarnkrok, gunfight option pic.twitter.com/5blk4Cvvxo
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 10, 2022
“I think our group is as deep as it has been since I’ve been here,” Keefe said. “We have really clear and defined roles across the group. We have a lot of competition. The boys will be challenging to move up the whole lineup.
To meet the cap, Leafs used waivers Wayne Simmonds, Kyle Clifford, Victor Mete and Adam Gaudette. All four players cleared Monday and were assigned to the American Hockey League.
“That doesn’t say anything about what we think of the players who aren’t in the roster,” Keefe continued. “They’re still very important players. They’ll obviously be here in time as we face the realities of an NHL schedule.”
The Leafs begin the season with at least 20 players (12 forwards, six defensemen, and two goalies) on their active roster.
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Denis Malgin edged out Nick Robertson for the last forward spot.
“The fact that he’s protected by the waiver requirement works in his favor in this case,” Keefe said. “In Robertson’s case, it works against him. That’s the reality of the situation we’re in with the salary cap and a really tight and short roster. We’re going to have players that you would otherwise have in the NHL, need to start in the American League.”
Malgin scored four goals and four assists in six preseason games. Robertson scored three goals and added five assists in five games.
Robertson, 21, attempted to crack opening night’s lineup for the first time.
“It’s an unfortunate situation for a player who has worked very hard and is as competitive as he is,” admitted Keefe. “He did all the things we asked of him. A player like him at his age is never a finished product. It’s always an advantage to play in the AHL and help a Marlies team that we want to see take steps and grow. “That growth will only come through the growth of individuals. He can be a part of that. At the same time he will play a lot and stay fresh and ready when we need him instead of maybe being a scratch here.”
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Malgin will play in the NHL for the first time since 2020, when he played in eight games with the Leafs after a trade from the Florida Panthers. He didn’t score or assist during his first tenure with Toronto, but Malgin accumulated 60 points in 184 games with the Panthers over four seasons.
“He has 200 NHL games under his belt,” Keefe said. “He was producing during this time. He’s had some time off and I’ve seen him grow and develop his game. That’s what I really wanted to do at this camp and preseason – just watch and see where he is mentally and let him take the opportunities he got to prove he can play in the NHL and help our team. I think he did. He performed very well and worked very hard off the puck as well. He found ways to create any game [he was in] or what the competition was like. It seemed like he was still putting his stamp on each of the games. He was good and competitive in our drills.”
Malgin sealed the deal with a highlight in Saturday’s show finale against the Detroit Red Wings. Auston Matthews described the goal as “crunchy”. Matthews also played with Malgin in the Swiss League (Zurich) during his NHL draft season (2015-16).
“I can’t say enough good things about him,” Matthews told TSN. “He played incredibly throughout camp. He showed a lot of confidence out there. He was dominant. He looked incredible.”
“That was a great goal the other day,” said Tavares. “This time around he seems very comfortable with himself and his game and the confidence is really growing. Certainly his speed and playmaking ability [stands out] and he has a great touch on the net. Not only did he make a great move, but the fast hands he showed on the finish were fantastic. He has a good nose for the net.”
MALGIN MAKES MOVES 💨 pic.twitter.com/4X4gBo9u61
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 9, 2022
During Saturday’s game, Malgin played in-line with Nylander. He was skating with Nylander and Tavares at practice on Monday.
“His speed and the way he could generate offense in every game,” Nylander said when asked what stood out about Malgin’s camp. “He played five games and was dominant in every game. He definitely deserved it.”
It’s been a long road back for Malgin, who has made the Swiss League shine for the last two years.
“I’m glad to finally be here,” he said. “Obviously I knew I could play here and I think I showed it. Now I’ll try to play the same way.”
Coach Sheldon Keefe with some words of encouragement for Denis Malgin after training pic.twitter.com/fXT6qXY49x
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) October 10, 2022
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Matt Murray will begin Wednesday’s opener in Montreal.
“We wanted Murray to get the first game and start like that,” Keefe said.
Murray conceded just two goals in three preseason appearances and pulled off a .969 save.
“I’m just trying to build every single part of my game every day,” he said after the final dress rehearsal on Saturday. “That’s my focus.”
“Just solid,” Matthews remarked of Murray. “Solid all round. He comes in there. He doesn’t really get emotional about conceding a goal or not. He’s just solid in there and it was really nice to see that.”
Murray is unbeaten in his Montreal career (5-0-0). He looked sharp during a preseason start at Bell Center.
Ilya Samsonov will start Thursday’s home game against the Washington Capitals, who didn’t make him a qualifying offer over the summer.
“Maybe not ideal, but maybe it is,” Keefe said with a smile. “I didn’t specifically talk to Sammy about it. [Goalie coach] Curtis [Sanford] has dealt with it. It’s going to be our home game and his former team is coming in. There’s going to be a lot of excitement about it.”
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Lines in practice on Monday:
Ammer-Matthews-Marner
Nylander-Tavares-Malgin
Engvall-Kerfoot-Jarnkrok
Aston-Reese – Battle – Aube-Kubel
Holmberg, Robertson
Rielly- Brodie
Muzzin Holl
Giordano Sandin
Kral-Villeneuve
murray
Samsonov
Forward pairs in 4v4 work:
Matthews-Marner
Tavares – Nylander
Battle – Aube Kubel
Kerfoot-Jarnkrok
Engvall – Aston Reese
Malgin- bunting
6-on-5 work:
Rielly, Matthews, Tavares, Nylander, Marner, Ammer
We have assigned the following players to the @TorontoMarlies:
F. Kyle Clifford
F Adam Gaudette
F. Pontus Holmberg
D Filip Kral
D Viktor Mete
F Nick Robertson
F. Wayne Simmonds
D William Villeneuve— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) October 10, 2022
#Tavares #trend #return #Wednesday #capped #leaves #TSN.ca
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