Mar 19, 2021
Simmonds returns, Galchenyuk debuts as Leafs face Flames
Wayne Simmonds and Jack Campbell will return to the Maple Leafs’ lineup on Friday against Calgary, while Alex Galchenyuk will make his debut. With the Leafs in need of a spark, the timing couldn't be better, Kristen Shilton writes.

TORONTO — Wayne Simmonds and Jack Campbell will return to the Maple Leafs’ lineup on Friday against Calgary, bringing Toronto as close to full strength as the team has been all season.
The timing couldn’t be better, considering how far the Leafs’ have fallen lately.
Toronto posted an abysmal 1-5-0 record leading into a four-day break this week, and their once commanding lead atop the North Division standings has been whittled down to a tie for first with Edmonton at 40 points (albeit with three games in hand).
What the Leafs need now is a spark, and history suggests Simmonds (who broke his wrist on Feb. 6) can help provide it.
“I know he's very excited to get back and get playing here,” coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters on a Zoom call after the Leafs’ optional morning skate. “It's been a long time coming for him. He’s the kind of guy that has a ton of energy and hasn't been able to utilize a great deal of that in a competitive environment here. He has a strong voice on the ice with his linemates. He feels good and we're happy to have him back in the mix tonight.”
Simmonds will slot onto the fourth line with Pierre Engvall and Jason Spezza to start, and projects to be back as Toronto’s net-front man on the team’s top power-play unit.
Prior to his injury, Simmonds had scored five goals in six games, including three with the extra man. The Leafs’ lagging power play, which is operating at a paltry 10 per cent over the past six games, could use a boost.
“He's been a great player for our team whenever he’s on the ice,” said Mitch Marner. “It's been great the last couple days having him with us. He comes in with a positive mindset every day and that's something I think everyone really wants to have, but it's hard. He does it very well and that's something that you want to be around.”
Campbell’s comeback has also been in the cards for a while. Toronto’s backup goalie originally suffered a leg injury on Jan. 24, and then re-aggravated the issue in his first start back Feb. 27. He hasn’t appeared in a game since, but has been skating and practicing consistently.
Many of Campbell’s previous rehab sessions on the ice included Alex Galchenyuk, who will be making his Leafs’ debut on Friday. The 27-year-old winger was acquired via trade with Carolina on Feb. 15, and spent his first couple weeks in the organization primarily working with Toronto’s skill coaches and injured players.
Because Galchenyuk has bounced between six different teams since 2018, Toronto was wary about rushing him into service. He was assigned to the AHL’s Marlies at the end of February, marking the first minor-league stint of his career. Galchenyuk flourished there, producing two goals and eight points in six games.
That output earned Galchenyuk an opportunity to join the Leafs this week at practice. Having four days off between games provided a nice buffer, and Keefe loaded Galchenyuk onto a line with John Tavares and William Nylander to see how he looked.
The early returns were positive enough that Keefe feels confident Galchenyuk is ready for the NHL again.
“There's more to this player here in terms of what he has to offer,” Keefe said. “But there was also more to what he needed and that's why we took the patient approach with him and gave him the opportunity to go down with the Marlies. He’ll get a chance to play with good players tonight, and I thought those guys looked really good in practice yesterday. I think the way that [Galchenyuk] moves the puck and the way that he can score and shoot the puck pairs well with them.”
Keefe expects the Leafs offence to start thriving again after such a long layoff. Toronto was outscored 23-15 over its six games before the break, and their goals-for dropped to 2.50 from the season average of 3.63.
Those dips contributed to Galchenyuk being inserted into the group and Travis Boyd being pushed out. Even past the halfway point of the regular season, Keefe is trying to construct the Leafs’ best lineup. Being fully healthy, and bringing in fresh legs, should help.
“This season and our schedule is unforgiving,” Keefe said. “We’ve got to find ways to optimize the lineup, and give opportunity to players such as [Galchenyuk]. The standings are what they are, but they’re a symptom of the fact that we haven't gotten results here of late. We don't need any more of a wakeup call than that.”