TORONTO – Six weeks after blocking a shot with his foot, Brandon Carlo is preparing for a return to action.
And with minutes-muncher Jake McCabe replacing him on the sidelines with a lower-body injury of his own, the big righty’s return is more than welcomed.
“You certainly miss it,” John Tavares told reporters Monday, regarding the package of unsung contributions Carlo brings to the table.
Penalty killing, clearing out the net front, sacrificing the body to clog shot lanes… Tavares says Carlo’s attributes are like those of fellow top-four right shot Chris Tanev.
Carlo’s uneven start to his first full season as a Toronto Maple Leaf worsened when an infection developed in his ankle following a hard puck off the boot in November. He couldn’t get comfortable in his skate boot because his new injury was aggravating the foot around a plate in his foot inserted eight years ago. Surgery was required.
Carlo missed Toronto’s worst stretch of the season and is hopping back in during its best, a six-game point streak.
He’s vowing to simply “do my part.”
As a guy who regularly logs 20-plus minutes per game — and who is a much safer partner for lefty Morgan Rielly than the struggling Philippe Myers — bet on coach Craig Berube to lean on Carlo heavily.
McCabe, who is expected to miss a week, leads all Leafs with a plus-26 rating and a 22:01 average ice time. Tanev is considering surgery to aid his recently injured groin. Someone must pick up the slack.
“It’s tough,” Berube said of the IR train. “Especially on the back end. It’s been all year.”
On the front end, William Nylander was shifted to IR retroactively and hasn’t participated in team practice since suffering a lower-body injury on Dec. 27.
He skated solo Monday but won’t play in Tuesday’s rivarly match versus the Florida Panthers.
Further to the injury roundup, Dakota Joshua suffered a lacerated kidney in Detroit. He has since returned to Toronto but has not skated.
Defenceman Dakota Mermis (knee) is skating on his own but is not close to a return. Ditto goaltender Anthony Stolarz, for whom the club has not announced a timeline for return.
Matthews’ record celebrated
Auston Matthews’ teammates formed a circle around their captain following Monday’s practice and slapped their sticks in celebration of the freshly crowned franchise leader in goals (421).
“Very deserving. Heckuva player, heckuva person, and he’s got many more ahead,” said Tavares, describing the 28-year-old’s recent goal-splosion as inevitable.
“Pucks maybe haven’t been going in as much as he’d like, but he impacts the game in so many ways, you always trust and believe that he’s too good that it’s not gonna come and they’re not gonna start going in.
“We’re pumped to see him get hot here.”
Tavares, Max Domi, Matthew Knies, and longtime wingman Mitch Marner were among the teammates to broadcast their congratulations to Matthews on social media in the wake of Saturday’s historic moment.
Carlo, a former Bruin, noted how nice it is to now be on the friendly side of Matthews’ red lamps. And spoke of how he wants to incorporate a little of Matthews’ approach into his own game.
“You can tell with his composure, the way he carries himself, never too high, never too low,” Carlo said. “Something I can learn from.”
OELympic dream come true
Oliver Ekman-Larsson was passed over when his home country selected 2025’s 4 Nations Face-Off roster but would not be denied in 2026.
The Leafs’ most consistent two-way defenceman this season was justly named to Team Sweden’s Olympic squad and will have a shot at upgrading his silver medal from 2014.
“Couldn’t be more thrilled for O,” said Tavares, a fellow Olympian in Sochi. “We rely on him so much.”
In addition to producing at a 50-point pace for the first time in a decade, Ekman-Larsson has brought edge and versatility to the Leafs’ battered blue line.
He plays effectively on the right and left, power play and penalty kill, and with whomever Berube throws to his side.
“He’s been consistent from Day 1,” Berube said.
Understand the game is trying to speed him by, the 34-year-old devoted more time this summer to his skating than he used to.
To help the Leafs, of course, but also to don the Tre Kronor for the first time since the 2018 worlds.
“It would be unbelievable to get a chance to play in the Olympics again,” Ekman-Larsson told us at training camp. “It was a long time ago, and it would be fun to be on that team.”
Mission accomplished.
Maple Leafs projected lineup Tuesday vs. Florida Panthers
McMann – Matthews – Domi
Maccelli – Tavares – Knies
Cowan – Roy – Robertson
Lorentz – Laughton – Järnkrok
Rielly – Carlo
Ekman-Larsson – Stecher
Benoit – Myers
Woll
Hildeby
