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Several Maple Leafs Walking Wounded Feeling Good As Team Reports for 1st Practice
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- Several Maple Leafs Walking Wounded Feeling Good As Team Reports for 1st Practice
Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs were back at it on Tuesday for their first practice of the Olympic Break (minus Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Oliver Ekman-Larsson of course). And there was some good news, as a couple of the walking wounded reported feeling good after the time off.
Their next game is still over a week away, next Wednesday in Tampa Bay, but it's time for the team to see how some of the recently hobbled players are doing and get things ramped up again.
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Starting with Matthew Knies, who had a lingering injury that had been bothering him for a while. The rest seems to have done him some good.
Knies said he feels "Great… I think it's in a great spot. I spent a lot of time on (recovery). It was a pretty valuable two weeks for me, just to get the rest and the rehab and everything."
With only three goals in his last 17 games, this can only be good news for the Leafs.
Dakota Joshua could be close to returning for Leafs
Rugged bottom-six forward Dakota Joshua has been out since December 28 after suffering a lacerated kidney. He participated in his first full practice since then on Tuesday. He's still shaking off the rust, but a return could be not too far off.
Head coach Craig Berube said, "It's great having him back out there… He's feeling good and ready to go, so see how it goes this week." Joshua will be re-evaluated early next week, and it's possible he could return shortly after the break.
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What's the latest on Morgan Rielly & Chris Tanev?
Morgan Rielly, Berube said, is "good to go" after missing the last two games before the break with an upper-body injury.
As for Chris Tanev, thoughts of potential season-ending surgery that cropped up in January seem to have dissipated for now. He has not, however, joined the full group for practice. Tanev is skating on his own. That will continue for the next few days, Berube said. After that, more might be known. A return sometime this season has not been ruled out for the 36-year-old.
The Maple Leafs will try to pick up where they left off when the season resumes. A three-game win streak out west has sparked some optimism. But the front office is still considering their next moves with the trade deadline approaching. Trailing a playoff berth by six points, with three other teams to climb over, many feel that some minor selling could be on the horizon.
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