News Maple Leafs Team Notes

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Leafs practice notes: Chris Tanev likely to return Saturday night

The Toronto Maple Leafs practiced Friday for the first time since a tough 6-3 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Wednesday.

One of the first to hit the ice Friday was Chris Tanev, who skated alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson. Tanev hasn’t played since exiting an October 21st contest against the New Jersey Devils after a collision with forward Dawson Mercer. He was later placed on IR retroactive to that date. After practice, Tanev shared he has cleared protocol and is likely to return Saturday night, per The Hockey News’ David Alter.

William Nylander and Calle Jarnkrok also skated with the team on Friday, slotting in on the first and fourth lines, respectively. Nylander has been in and out of the lineup over the past week, owing to an undisclosed injury suffered against the Buffalo Sabres last Friday. Practicing alongside Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, Nylander shared he felt good Friday and will see how he feels ahead of tomorrow’s game.

Jarnkrok may also be back in the lineup tomorrow, skating on the fourth line with Max Domi and Sammy Blais. The Swede last appeared with the team last Saturday in a 4-3 OT victory over the Buffalo Sabres. He got off to a hot start this season with three goals through his first three games, but hasn’t earned a point in five games since.

Scott Laughton skated on Friday as an extra rotating through different spots in the lineup. The Oakville native has not appeared yet this season with the Leafs, owing to an injury suffered in the preseason. Now skating with the team, he looks to be on track to return soon. Fellow bottom-sixer Steven Lorentz was not at practice Friday after exiting the game on Wednesday with an upper-body injury. After practice, head coach Craig Berube said Laughton is doubtful to play tomorrow, while Lorentz is listed as day-to-day.

Meanwhile, goaltender Joseph Woll did not skate with the team on Friday, likely having remained in Toronto as he prepares for a possible AHL conditioning stint.

The Maple Leafs face off against the Philadelphia Flyers on Saturday for a Hockey Night in Canada showdown.

Here’s how the Leafs lined up at practice on Friday, per David Alter:

Forwards:

Matthew Knies – Auston Matthews – William Nylander

Matias Maccelli – John Tavares – Bobby McMann

Dakota Joshua – Nicolas Roy – Easton Cowan

Sammy Blais – Max Domi – Calle Jarnkrok

Extras (rotating): Nick Robertson, Scott Laughton

Defence:

Morgan Rielly – Brandon Carlo

Simon Benoit – Jake McCabe

Oliver Ekman-Larsson – Chris Tanev

Dakota Mermis – Philippe Myers

Goalies:

Anthony Stolarz, Cayden Primeau

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS​

Take $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200+ using promo code LEAFSNATION (new customers only, $200 USD minimum before taxes & fees)

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/tor...tice-notes-chris-tanev-likely-return-saturday

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Maple Leafs activate Chris Tanev from IR, Dakota Mermis assigned to AHL’s Marlies

Ahead of Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, the Toronto Maple Leafs have activated defenceman Chris Tanev from injured reserve. Dakota Mermis has been assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.

Tanev participated in practice sessions leading up to Saturday’s game and is expected to be paired with Oliver Ekman-Larsson, while Jake McCabe will play alongside Simon Benoit. The 35-year-old was placed on injured reserve retroactive to October 21, after suffering a concussion during a 5-2 loss to the New Jersey Devils, following a collision with Dawson Mercer.

“When you’re sort of stunned and a little bit confused, it’s not ideal. But felt quite normal really soon after, which was nice,” Tanev said Friday via Sportsnet’s Luke Fox.

“I don’t think any one mimics another one. Sometimes your symptoms may last a while; sometimes they don’t. Sometimes they’re headaches; sometimes they’re just head pressure. Could be your mood. I mean, there’s so many different things a person can feel, and I don’t think any one is the same.”

Tanev recorded one assist through seven games this season, and he will certainly be welcomed back into the lineup, as the Maple Leafs’ rush defence continues to be a major area of concern thus far. Toronto has surrendered 31 goals at 5-on-5, the second-worst total in the NHL entering Saturday’s slate. Tanev recorded three goals and 18 points in 75 games last season, maintaining his reputation as one of the league’s elite defenders and shot-blockers, during his first year with the Maple Leafs.
Mermis played in one game for the Maple Leafs, logging 13:12 and a -2 rating during a 5-3 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on October 24.
William Nylander is ruled out of Saturday’s game with an unspecified injury. It appears unlikely at this juncture that Scott Laughton will suit up for Saturday’s contest against his former team, after leading the team’s stretch during Saturday’s morning skate.

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/tor...nev-ir-dakota-mermis-assigned-toronto-marlies

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Maple Leafs’ William Nylander will not play vs. Flyers, Anthony Stolarz projected to start

Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander will not play in Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers, head coach Craig Berube confirmed to travelling reporters.

Nylander did not participate in the team’s morning skate. He will miss his third game of the year, briefly returning to the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Calgary Flames, before being ruled out of Wednesday’s game against the Columbus Blue Jackets. Nylander leads the Maple Leafs in scoring with three goals and 15 points in nine games.

“It sucks,” Nylander said Friday via Sportsnet’s Luke Fox. “But, I mean, there’s nothing really I can do about it. It’s just gonna take some time. I don’t know. Maybe I play tomorrow. Maybe I don’t.”

Max Domi was placed on the top power play group in Nylander’s absence, joining Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Matthew Knies and Morgan Rielly. Nick Robertson could potentially rejoin the lineup, if Scott Laughton doesn’t play. Robertson could join Knies and Matthews on Toronto’s top line, as the team is still looking to find their ideal combinations.

Scott Laughton led the team’s stretch during morning skate. Laughton was acquired by the Maple Leafs from the Flyers at the 2025 trade deadline. The 31-year-old spent his entire career with the Flyers, after making the NHL as an 18-year-old during the 2012-13 campaign. Laughton has been on injured reserve to start the year, after suffering a lower-body injury during an October 2 preseason game against the Detroit Red Wings.

Anthony Stolarz is the projected starter for the Maple Leafs. Stolarz has posted a 3-4-1 record with a .886 save percentage to begin the year.

Maple Leafs’ projected lines vs. Flyers​

Matthew Knies-Auston Matthews-Max Domi

Bobby McMann-John Tavares-Matias Maccelli

Dakota Joshua-Nicolas Roy-Easton Cowan

Sammy Blais-Scott Laughton-Calle Jarnkrok

Morgan Rielly-Brandon Carlo

Simon Benoit-Jake McCabe

Oliver Ekman-Larsson-Chris Tanev

Anthony Stolarz (projected starter)

Cayden Primeau

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/tor...t-play-flyers-anthony-stolarz-projected-start

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Maple Leafs’ Chris Tanev discharged from hospital after leaving game vs. Flyers on stretcher

The Toronto sports circle received one stroke of positive news in what was otherwise a very somber morning following the Toronto Blue Jays’ 2025 World Series loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers. The Toronto Maple Leafs announced on Sunday morning that defenceman Chris Tanev was discharged from hospital following a scary collision with Philadelphia Flyers forward Matvei Michkov.

a stretcher was called out for Tanev after this pic.twitter.com/2yuqnPF88a

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) November 2, 2025

The collision occurred in the third period of the Maple Leafs’ 5-2 win over the Flyers on Saturday night. It appeared to be a relatively harmless play at first, but it quickly became evident that Tanev would need assistance getting off the ice. There was also a little extra caution involved given the fact that it was Tanev’s first game back following a similar injury a couple of weeks ago, when he took a shoulder to the jaw from New Jersey Devils forward Dawson Mercer.

Thankfully, Tanev flashed a thumbs up as he was being carried off the ice, and following the news that he was discharged from hospital and cleared to return to Toronto, it seems like somewhat of a best-case scenario for all parties after the way things looked originally.

Tanev flashes a thumbs up

hope he's alright pic.twitter.com/LZwwcwjIDb

— Omar (@TicTacTOmar) November 2, 2025

This doesn’t clear up anything regarding a possible return to action for Tanev, especially when it’s involving something with the head, but the fact that he’s back home with the team hopefully means that he won’t be out too long. Still, expect the team to exercise some caution with Tanev going forward considering his age and the amount of minutes he logs with the Maple Leafs when fully healthy.

The Maple Leafs will be back in action on Monday night when they host the Pittsburgh Penguins, looking to build a winning streak after being denied a three-game streak with their loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets on Thursday night. The Maple Leafs will likely provide another update on Tanev’s status prior to Monday’s game, but it seems like an extremely safe bet to assume Tanev won’t play.

Sponsored by bet365

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/toronto-maple-leafs-chris-tanev-discharged-hospital-flyers-stretcher

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

Report: David Kampf away from Marlies as he contemplates future in Toronto

Toronto Maple Leafs forward David Kampf is reportedly not with the Toronto Marlies as he contemplates his future with the organization.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday Headlines about the situation as it stands, stating that Kampf is feeling frustrated that he is not in the NHL.

“The Toronto Marlies are playing tonight in Chicago in the American Hockey League, and he’s not with them. I was told there’s a possibility he could play tomorrow, but I think that’s unlikely,” he said. “David Kampf has taken a couple of days to kind of think about his future. Obviously, he’s not playing with the Maple Leafs right now; he’s in a bit of a roster and salary cap crunch situation, and he got a little bit frustrated.  I think everybody understands, he wants to play in the NHL and he’s an NHL player.”

TSN’s Darren Dreger also reported on Friday’s edition of Insider Trading that the Leafs are still trying to deal away Kampf in an attempt to free up the cap space he is taking up. While this is something that GM Brad Treliving has tried to work on for quite some time, nothing has materialized as of this filing.

Kampf is clearly not happy with the situation that he is in, given that he was one of the last cuts at training camp and has yet to be called up, even with the Leafs encountering several injuries to start the year. It is clear that his days in Toronto are numbered and it seems that it’s a matter of when and not if he gets dealt.

While it is unclear where he ends up or how his exit from the Leafs occurs, one thing that won’t be forthcoming is a buyout, according to Friedman.

“ One of the things that was being rumoured in the last couple of days, Ron, is that there’s been a couple of players – Conor Sheary was one, Brandon Saad was one, Filip Zadina was one – who terminated their contracts so they could get back to the NHL or find a better situation in the NHL,” he said. “ I’m not sure that’s going to happen. He still is owed about $4 million on his Toronto contract. But there’s no question that he’s taken some time this weekend to think about his future in the NHL, what he wants to do. We’ll see if the Maple Leafs can find a move this weekend for him, or to clear space, and or what next week brings him.”

Kampf is in the third year of a four-year contract he signed with the Leafs in 2023 that carries an AAV of $2.4 million. The 30-year-old centre appeared in 59 regular-season games last season, where he recorded 13 points (five goals and eight assists) while going scoreless in one postseason appearance.

Across four games played with the Marlies, Kampf has recorded one assist, four shots on goal, and is a minus-one.

PRESENTED BY VIVID SEATS​

Take $20 off your first Vivid Seats order of $200+ using promo code LEAFSNATION (new customers only, $200 USD minimum before taxes & fees)

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/report-david-kampf-away-marlies-as-he-contemplates-future-toronto

 

[Toronto Maple Leafs]

James Duthie thinks the Leafs can learn a few things from the Blue Jays: Leafs Morning Take

Ultimately, it wasn’t meant to be for the Toronto Blue Jays.

This one’s going to sting for a long, long time. Suffice it is to say, all eyes are now firmly back on the Toronto Maple Leafs.

Needless to say, we kicked off the Monday edition of Leafs Morning Take by dissecting Game 7 between the Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers. What drama, what theatre. There’s no consolation prizes in pro sports, but there’s a lot to be proud of from the Blue Jays’ perspective. That said, from a Toronto sports fan’s perspective, it’s easy to get back to that dark place. Outside of the Raptors randomly winning a few years ago, this city just can’t seem to catch a break in pressure cooker situations. And to be clear, there’s no Maple Leafs comparison here. This was Game 7 of the World Series —for all the marbles. The Leafs haven’t sniffed a game with those kind of stakes in decades.

At any rate, once we got that off our chests, we dove into the Leafs’ 5-2 win in Philadelphia, a game not many in Toronto were likely watching. It was your prototypical Craig Berube victory. Nick Robertson stayed red-hot with a goal and an assist, Auston Matthews potted his sixth of the campaign, and Anthony Stolarz made 31 stops. Meantime, Easton Cowan scored his first NHL goal. Also, Chris Tanev was stretchered off after a weird collision with Matvei Michkov. It was Tanev’s first game after sitting for three games due to a suspected concussion. Thankfully, Tanev was discharged from a Philadelphia hospital on Sunday and is now back in Toronto recovering. Scary stuff. Over and above all that, we discussed Bobby McMann’s recent struggles. He has zero points in the past eight games, and at this point, he could be on the outside looking in very soon.

After that, TSN’s James Duthie made another appearance on the show. Firstly, he broke down the tough Blue Jays loss. He was at the game, so naturally, he painted a picture of the raw emotion and theatre on Saturday night at SkyDome. Furthermore, we all feel like the Leafs can learn a thing or two from this Blue Jays squad. They were such a likeable team. Without question, the city hasn’t loved a Leafs team like that in a long, long time. Additionally, Duthie weighed in on the Leafs’ 6-5-1 start and their ongoing search for an identity. Lastly, he plugged his new book: Certified Beauties: More Of Hockey’s Greatest Untold Stories.

Through the podcast, we previewed Monday’s tilt on home ice against the surprising Pittsburgh Penguins. William Nylander will be back in the lineup and Phil Myers will replace Tanev. We could see a few other big changes, too, including a potential McMann health bomb. We’ll see.

You won’t want to miss the Tuesday edition of Leafs Morning Take (11 AM ET). In addition to recapping Leafs/Penguins, legendary NHL head coach Darryl Sutter will drop by the show to weigh in on Toronto’s start.

You can subscribe to TheLeafsNation (TLN) YouTube channel HERE. Additionally, we’re available in podcast form, too —wherever you get your podcasts. While you’re at it, be sure to leave us a 5-star review!

Source: https://theleafsnation.com/news/jam...-things-from-the-blue-jays-leafs-morning-take