Surprising Turn of Events as Trio of Leafs Players Return from Injury Ahead of Oilers Matchup
The Toronto Maple Leafs are getting some heavy reinforcements back just in time for their matchup against the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night.
With a second third game losing streak of the season, and an offense that has suddenly dried up, things are not looking good for the Maple Leafs as they head into February, and they've already lost their Atlantic Division lead.
But ahead of Saturday's game against the Edmonton Oilers, the team is getting a trio of players back at the time when they need it most.
John Tavares, Anthony Stolarz, and Matthew Knies Return For Maple Leafs
Fans all around the world are breathing a sigh of relief now. The loss of these three players should not be understated, and the team has looked completely different without them.
To start, Anthony Stolarz has been out since the middle of December after tweaking his knee and then undergoing an operation in order to remove a loose body. Joseph Woll took the majority of the starts and while he has performed admirably this season, he desperately needs a break.
This season, Stolarz has a 9-5-2 record with a 2.15 GAA and .927 SV% and signed a two-year deal with Toronto this past offseason.
Tavares, the former captain, has been one of the team's most electric players in 2024-25, and when Auston Matthews went down, he stepped up. Playing like he's a decade younger, Tavares was elevating Toronto's offense even at age 34.
He was injured during practice after getting tangled up with defenseman Simon Benoit while running a drill, and it was apparent that he was going to miss some time.
This year, Tavares has 20 goals and 22 assists in 44 games and is a free agent at the end of this season.
Knies, who is having an even bigger breakout this season, was injured when he tumbled into a linesman during Toronto's game against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The young power forward has shown he is going to be a huge piece of the Leafs going forward, and being in the final year of his ELC; Toronto needs to extend him ASAP,
This year, Knies has 18 goals and 31 assists while also adding 109 hits in 47 games.
It will be a big test for all three men as Toronto is headed into enemy territory and start a four-game road trip. They'll need to be at their best though if Toronto has any chance of rectifying their solid, if inconsistent January.
