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Maple Leafs Get Good News & Bad News On Injury Front
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- Maple Leafs Get Good News & Bad News On Injury Front
IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect
Chris Tanev and Dakota Joshua returned this past week, but the Toronto Maple Leafs still have another couple of key players who've been out for a while. On Friday, there's good news on John Tavares , but not so good news on Kirill Marchenko .
With the latter, Marchenko went down with a lower-body injury on October 26 during a game in Calgary against the Flames. The word from the Russian forward himself at the time was that he'd be out for two weeks. But we're approaching that two-week mark, and insider Darren Dreger reports that Marchenko is still two weeks away.
🚨 Kirill Marchenko is STILL "two weeks away" from returning from his lower-body injury, per @DarrenDreger
"They could certainly use him back in the mix just to try and straighten out some of the lines, so Jim Hiller doesn't have the extra-large blender out there every single… pic.twitter.com/pcJ7npK6Ni— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) November 6, 2026
So, basically, when Marchenko told fans at the Calgary airport after the injury that he was "two weeks away", it turns out he meant he was "two weeks away from being two weeks away", in reference to one of the all-time sports media clips after the Toronto Raptors shockingly drafted the unheralded Bruno Caboclo in the 2014 NBA Draft.
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As for Marchenko, "They could certainly use him back in the mix just to try and straighten out some of the lines, so Jim Hiller doesn't have the extra-large blender out there every single night," said Dreger on TSN 1050's First Up on Friday morning.
"Yesterday, I was told it would be two more weeks, so we'll see. But that doesn't help them now, and it won't help them through this stretch."
This "stretch" Dreger was referring to is a gauntlet of a schedule over the next five home games. They'll face the Montreal Canadiens, New Jersey Devils, Colorado Avalanche, Minnesota Wild, and Edmonton Oilers. Not one creampuff game in there.
But there is a big reinforcement on the way, however.
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John Tavares returns for the Maple Leafs, but McKenna takes back seat again
Tavares is back, in a full-contact jersey at practice Friday morning. He's been out since October 15th, just over three weeks ago. He has missed the last nine games. The 36-year-old center went down in an awkward collision and tumble with Buffalo Sabres centre Josh Norris. The lower-body injury was initially designated week-to-week, and Tavares was projected to miss up to six weeks. He's beating that timeline significantly. He's been upgraded to day-to-day and is expected to return to the lineup for the game Saturday night against the Canadiens.
Tavares will immediately rejoin the top power-play unit, once again bumping rookie Gavin McKenna to second-unit duties. Although everyone's happy to have JT back in the lineup, McKenna, the first overall pick and top prospect in hockey, did a very good job creating and moving the puck on that first PP unit. Another demotion for him isn't sitting well with many Leafs fans. And they're zeroing in on head coach Jim Hiller, who is once again coaching "scared", and failing in his job to develop McKenna.
Chayka's gotta get involved here lol. Sheltering him is one thing, keeping him off the one time he's shown he's already very good is an asinine decision. Part of Hiller's job is player development when working with kids this young and he's handling this in such a bad way
— Robbie McPhee (@RobbieMcPhee21) November 6, 2026
This is why Hiller got ran out of LA
No F'N clue how to use eye test
Tavares is slow as turtle and is shooter
We need a passer on that line— EricDravenOVO (@TheCrowovo) November 6, 2026
Chayka made a lot of nice moves but I think he really missed on the Hiller hire along with the Bob signing.
— Jacques Strapp 🏒 🇨🇦 (@WTFMAN999) November 6, 2026
As for McKenna, the kid may only be 18, but he's handling yet another slap in the face from his head coach with class and aplomb.
Gavin McKenna says he isn't butthurt about moving to the second power-play unit now that John Tavares is back, adding that he's fortunate to be on the second unit at just 18 years old and doesn't take it for granted
"I'm 18 years old. There are a lot of guys on this team who… pic.twitter.com/uM5TY9Xt6O— Leafslatest (@Leafslatest) November 6, 2026
"I'm 18. There's a lot of guys in this team who've been in this league for a long time & know how to play that power play. So when you see a guy like John come on & take your spot, you're not too butthurt about it … For me, even being on a 2nd power play in the NHL, that feels pretty good."
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