Maple Leafs forward group set to be bolstered by John Tavares' impending return

TORONTO — A John Tavares return feels both imminent and urgent.

“Closer. That’s all I can give you, right?” Toronto Maple Leafs coach Jim Hiller said Tuesday morning after his second-line centre’s first appearance at a team skate since going down with injury.

Tavares, the lone Leaf to have perfect 82-game attendance last season, will miss his ninth consecutive game Tuesday versus the Utah Mammoth. He skated well and stayed out late during Toronto’s optional morning skate but was dressed in a red, non-contact sweater as he continues rehabbing the undisclosed lower-body injury he suffered three weeks ago against Buffalo.

He must practise with contact in at least one of the team’s two full practices this week, Wednesday or Friday, to get the go-ahead to play this weekend’s back-to-back against Montreal and New Jersey. 

The Leafs placed 13th forward Bo Groulx on waivers Monday to open a roster slot.

Hiller’s bunch has kept its head above water since Tavares fell awkwardly mid-loss, going 5-3, but the Maple Leafs’ top six has been in flux the whole while. (A second key injury, to winger Kirill Marchenko, certainly didn’t help.)

“We went on a (four-win) run there, stumbled a little bit out West in the middle of the trip, but I think we’ve done pretty well without him,” the optimistic Hiller said. “But I tell you, he’s an important player. He really is. He does so many things well. I think so many things that don't get talked about, don't get written about.” 

Continuing to stave off Father Time, Tavares hung seven points in seven games and won 60.4 per cent of his draws before going down. Even with Hiller reducing the 36-year-old’s minutes — he’s averaging a career-low 16:31 — and the versatile Nick Paul stepping up admirably in his absence, Tavares’ return simply slots everyone in the forward group better.

The Leafs have struggled to sustain offensive-zone time five-on-five, and outside of the Auston Matthews–Jack Roslovic combo, Hiller’s top nine has been a carousel of inconsistency.

William Nylander, in particular, has looked something less than his best. (Although, we’ll hear the argument that the all-star should drive his line regardless of his centre).

“He’s had some ups and downs,” Hiller said of Nylander. “Him and I have talked quite a bit. I’d like to see him be more dangerous offensively. Have the puck more. Attack more. That’s his strength. That’s the best part of his game. We just need to see more of the best part of his game.”

These weeks-long injuries up front have exposed Toronto’s lack of depth, point blank.

Tavares can help stabilize the top nine, starting with Nylander.

“Beyond just having the leadership that he provides in the room, just really strong in puck battles, right?” Hiller said. “A really great offensive player who goes to spots that you hope everybody would get there. He just understands where to go. And when he gets there, he's able to make a play out of it. 

“And then understanding the game without the puck. You know, I've had John way back when he first showed up here (in 2018). At that point, he was one of the top offensive players in the league. Now, he still maintained his offence, but he's really added a strong defensive game. Really understands the game.” 

Yes, the Maple Leafs have managed a winning record with Tavares sidelined. But when you zoom out, they still sit sixth (18 points) in a stacked Atlantic Division, and the two teams below them, Buffalo and Detroit, are only a point back and hold games in hand.

Toronto is turning to Sergei Bobrovsky Tuesday to get a much-needed win over the Utah Mammoth, the club that dealt Anthony Stolarz his only loss of the season and roasted the Leafs with quick-strike transition attacks during last month’s trip to Salt Lake City.

“If you make it a short track for them, if you let him come from the red line, if you let him come from your blue line, then you make it hard on yourselves. I think that's what we did in Utah. They had those rush goals,” Hiller said.

“You got to put the puck in right spots on the forecheck. That's really where it starts. And if I go back to the Utah game, we gave the puck to their goaltender too many times. If you do that, you can’t forecheck. 

“It starts with good dumps.”

Maple Leafs projected lineup Tuesday vs. Utah Mammoth

Cowan – Matthews – Roslovic
Joshua – Paul – Nylander
McKenna – Sissons – Lettieri
Duhaime – Blueger – MacEwan

McCabe – Raddysh
Rielly – Tanev
Ekman-Larsson – Stecher

Bobrovsky starts
Stolarz