A Key Piece Returns as the Maple Leafs Set Their Lineup for the Bruins

The Leafs will be at home Saturday taking on the Boston Bruins, and with one return on defense expected to come back into the lineup for Toronto.

Toronto is 4-1-0 in their last five games, and hoping to continue their momentum against a Boston team that has won their last five games.

Against a Bruins team that has been surprisingly hot to start the season, Toronto will have their work cut out, but will get some help back in the lineup.

Simon Benoit is returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs defense, and it's one big move in support for the Leafs blueline.

The Leafs defenseman is back with Toronto at practice, looking like he could be available for the Leafs next game against Boston.

Benoit, 27, had missed the last game for Toronto against the Utah Mammoth due to an illness, his spot in the lineup replaced by Dakota Mermis.

The Toronto Maple Leafs get a big boost to their lineup as Benoit is able to slot back into the third pair of the Leafs defense.

The Leafs on defense saw Simon Benoit practicing on the third pair alongside Philippe Myers, with Dakota Mermis the seventh man for Toronto.

With Cayden Primeau now having been placed on waivers, the Leafs can afford to keep Mermis in the lineup as a healthy scratch.

Toronto will continue their top-two pairings of Morgan Rielly & Brandon Carlo on the top pair, with Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the second. Chris Tanev is still unavailable for the Leafs.

On offense, the Leafs have continued to roll out their same lines, with Nick Robertson notably still on the second line after a strong stretch of games.

In net, with Primeau on waivers, Joseph Woll is back with the team and appears set to be the backup for Toronto, although he is likely to see some time in the AHL.

Likely, Woll may stick for now as the backup, and potentially if sent down so that Dennis Hildeby gets some chances as the backup until Woll is ready to be in the Leafs net.

For the Toronto Maple Leafs roster, they're looking to go ahead with the same team as against Utah, with him seeming Craig Berube has narrowed on the exact lineup he wants to see on the ice.