TORONTO — It’s one in, one out for the Toronto Maple Leafs’ second line.
Last season, the trio of John Tavares between Mitch Marner and Zach Hyman was a staple the Leafs counted on to be steady and productive every single day. This year, the tattered unit represents the larger state of at least mild flux the Leafs find themselves in.
Given that, it seems somehow fitting that on the day the team officially welcomed Hyman back from off-season knee surgery, Marner stood with a walking boot on his right foot and talked about missing the next chunk of the schedule with what he confirmed is a high-ankle sprain sustained during Saturday’s overtime loss to the Philadelphia Flyers.
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“It would obviously be nice to come back and be able to play with him again and reunite,” Hyman said of Marner. “But just for me, it’s good to be back and he’ll be back soon, and I guess I’ll be up to game speed by then.”
That last point was said with a wink and the Leafs could use a little levity these days. While the club still occupies second place in the tough Atlantic Division, Toronto has dropped two in a row, including its first game without Marner against the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday night. While Marner is hopeful he’ll be out of the walking boot soon, the four-week recovery timeline being offered is acknowledged as a best-case scenario for an injury that can often sideline players for closer to two months.
Then again, Marner thought things might be even more grave off the hop. The right winger injured himself on a fluke play during the opening faceoff of the second period and when he initially buckled, he thought he’d really done some damage.
“When I fell, right away I felt something funny,” Marner said. “At that time I was ready to look back and see my ankle twisted the wrong way.
“I think I was ready for something worse than it actually was.”
After feeling OK upon getting to the bench, Marner decided to try another shift before realizing something was askew. Now, with Hyman set to come back on Wednesday night on the road against the New York Islanders and Tavares having played just four contests since being sidelined for close to three weeks with a broken finger, coach Mike Babcock is once again forced to shuffle the deck. At Tuesday’s practice, Hyman skated on left wing with Tavares and right winger Kasperi Kapanen.
“That line — well, it hasn’t been a line this year,” Babcock said of the trio he relied on for so much last year. “We’ve got to find a way for those guys [whoever is on the line] to all be productive. We’re 20 games in, we’re still searching.”
While it wouldn’t be fair to expect any injured player — especially one recovering from a torn anterior cruciate ligament — to pick right up where he left off, Hyman is certainly a strong candidate to quickly remind the world of his attributes. He took all the time he needed and more coming back, making sure he was “over ready” before finally lacing his skates up for real.
When a finesse guy misses training camp and the first quarter of the year, you expect the hands and timing to be absent for a stretch. Hyman’s calling card, though, has always been a high-powered engine that should be revving in the red right now in anticipation of finally being able to lay some rubber. Still, Babcock is exercising patience with one of his favourite charges.
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“He just works, right? Works like a dog,” said Babcock. “Can he get on the forecheck and get us the puck back like he always does? I don’t know the answer to that for sure. Can he be on that right-hand [face-off] circle on the penalty kill? I don’t know that either. So I’m going to wait just like you and we’re going to figure it out.”
Chances are it won’t be long until we see No. 11 making life difficult on opponents again. And for a club that’s veered off the path here and there this season, having Hyman’s forceful, straight-ahead approach back could help set the compass right.
“He’s a great guy for what he brings on the ice, but also that tone and standard he sets within our locker room,” Tavares said.
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