The Toronto Maple Leafs will be down to just five defencemen for Saturday night’s matchup against the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena. The shortage comes after Oliver Ekman-Larsson was injured during Wednesday’s overtime win against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
With Jake McCabe (undisclosed injury) and Jani Hakanpaa (knee) already sidelined, the Leafs lack the salary cap flexibility to call up a replacement from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. However, they’ll be eligible to recall a defenceman on an emergency basis for Sunday’s game in Carolina against the Hurricanes.
Head coach Craig Berube joked about the situation after Friday’s practice, saying,“Maybe I’ll suit up and play back there.” Turning serious, he acknowledged the challenge but pointed to past experience playing with five defencemen.
“It’s important for our forwards to support the D—help with quick breakouts, limit extended shifts in our zone, and keep things manageable for them,” Berube said.
While he didn’t disclose Ekman-Larsson’s specific injury, Berube labeled the veteran as “day-to-day.” However, it’s unlikely he’ll play in Carolina as the Leafs wrap up their 16th and final back-to-back of the regular season.
On a positive note, Berube expects McCabe—who missed the last three games—to return before the playoffs, though he remains out for Saturday.
Up front, centre David Kampf will miss his third straight game with an upper-body injury.
A regulation win over Montreal—who play in Ottawa on Friday—would secure home-ice advantage for Toronto in at least the first round of the playoffs.
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