The Toronto Maple Leafs and Minnesota Wild held optional skates at Scotiabank Arena on Thursday.
For the second time in three games, the Toronto Maple Leafs will scratch Chris Tanev for load management. Why is the 36-year-old defenceman being held out of Thursday’s game against the Minnesota Wild?
“Ah, I’m not going to get into that,” coach Jim Hiller said. “I think there’s been a lot of talk about that. He’ll play Saturday.”
Tanev, who missed nine games with an upper-body injury earlier in the season, also sat out Sunday’s game against the New Jersey Devils. That game was the second half of a back-to-back set.
“I think we have great resources and a crack staff up and down,” Hiller said. “Everybody’s involved, it’s debated, a good decision is made, and then everybody moves forward.”
Tanev has played four games since returning from injury on Oct. 31 in Vancouver.
TSN Hockey Insider Pierre LeBrun reports that the Leafs approached Tanev about the load management strategy while he rehabbed his latest injury.
“It was a plan that they hatched for the month of November,” LeBrun said on Early Trading. “In other words, the first month back, to see how he fared. The idea was that he wouldn’t play in back-to-backs and that there would be one other game that’s not a back-to-back that he wouldn’t play and it was indeed this game tonight against the Minnesota Wild.”
The Leafs have one more back-to-back set this month.
Tanev made it clear he disagrees with the plan during a media session on Tuesday, but also said he understands it considering all the injuries he’s dealt with lately. The Toronto native was limited to just 11 games last season and underwent season-ending core muscle surgery in March.
“I think he knows we have his best interests at heart,” said Hiller. “He’s a good teammate. He’s a good player and when he’s called upon he plays hard. So he understands all that.”
Tanev noted that he tried “multiple times” to play on Sunday after fellow defenceman Morgan Rielly got hurt in Saturday’s game. Rielly will miss a third straight game on Thursday.
The Leafs have lost four straight games and six of seven overall with all the defeats coming in regulation. Toronto has slid to seventh in the ultra-competitive Atlantic Division and is in the middle of a challenging homestand against top-tier opposition.
Nick Foligno, who is one of the oldest skaters in the league, empathizes with both the team and the player.
“As an organization, I’m sure you just want to protect your asset to some degree, but as a player I can’t imagine what that feels like because we’re all born and bred to play no matter what,” the 39-year-old Wild winger said. “I think Tanev, knowing him a little bit and playing against him, he’s a warrior, right. So, he’s a guy who’s going to want to play no matter what he’s feeling.
“That’s a tough one, because we’re not meant to sit out. I know what I felt like being injured earlier this year and I know I’m not ready to retire yet. You can kind of see both sides but, as a player, I would hate it.”
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With Tanev out, Troy Stecher moves up to the second pair with Oliver Ekman-Larsson. He’s the only Leafs defenceman on the happy side of the plus-minus statistic this season (plus-seven).
What’s his confidence level right now?
“If you asked me before last game, would have been a lot higher,” he said with a grin. “Obviously, I was at fault for the second goal against. I’ve been here a year and I think you guys know, like, I don’t take a day for granted. I go out there and I’m a worker. I enjoy working and trying to drag guys in the fight with me. Obviously, I have limited skill abilities and hopefully other guys in our team can take over in that aspect, but I definitely feel like every night I try to be one of those guys that drags our team into the fight and make sure we’re ready to go.”
Stecher’s one-year anniversary with the Leafs is coming up.
“November 15th,” he said.
Why is the date still top of mind?
“Well, that one specifically because I got put on waivers, which as a hockey player is the last thing you ever want to do is not be wanted,” the 32-year-old said. “So, yeah, that one sticks with me and added a chip on my shoulder for sure.”
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With Tanev out, Cole McWard will draw into the lineup and play on the third pair beside Dakota Mermis.
McWard made his Leafs debut on Sunday night.
“First off, it was a lot of fun,” he said. “I thought I did well just being calm and making plays. I think some defensive reads and changes from the AHL game to the NHL is kind of something that I’m thinking about now. So I’m excited for tonight.”
McWard is still working on his reads at the NHL level and learning when to be aggressive defensively.
“I thought he played really well his first game,” said Hiller. “We didn’t get him back in because Tanny came back in, but I thought he played really well. The first one, or the first couple, are usually pretty easy and then it gets harder as the grind goes. But he’s got a really good demeanour and I’m looking forward to seeing him tonight again.”
It will be only the 11th career NHL game for the undrafted 25-year-old. What’s this opportunity mean to him?
“Everything,” he said. “You don’t get opportunities like this, so just trying to make the most of it.”
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Anthony Stolarz gets the start for the Leafs. He’s been the team’s best goalie this season with a 5-2-0 record and .908 save percentage.
“He’s been pretty calm in the net,” Hiller said. “One, he stops the puck. He’s doing a good job of that. Two, he’s really calm. He’s a big guy. I don’t think he’s sliding around that much. He’s pretty compact, so I think that’s really helped him. Not a lot of rebounds. Just very tight.”
Toronto’s No. 1 goalie Sergei Bobrovsky, who is 3-8-2 with an .881 save percentage, will get the night off.
Jesper Wallstedt, who is second in the NHL with a .925 save percentage, gets the start for the Wild and is looking to extend his winning streak to five games. It will be the 23-year-old Swede’s first career start in Toronto.
“He wants the moment,” said Wild top-line winger Matt Boldy. “He wants to be in the net and that confidence that he has in himself and the team and what we’re capable of shines through to everyone. It picks people up, so having him back there definitely makes us feel pretty comfortable.”
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Zack MacEwen participated in the optional morning skate and is listed as a game-time decision. The gritty winger sustained a wrist injury late in Tuesday’s game and did not take part in Wednesday’s practice.
The Leafs called up Brendan Brisson from the Marlies and he is on standby if MacEwen cannot dress.
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Playing in a contract year seems to suit Quinn Hughes, who ranks second among NHL defencemen in points (27) and average ice time (28:11).
“I don’t think anything bothers him,” said Stecher, who played with Hughes as a member of the Vancouver Canucks. “Even during a game, like between periods, I thought he was half asleep sometimes, you know, just staring off in the distance. A hard guy to read, man. Once you get to know him as an individual and you kind of build a little bit of friendship, you understand who he is as a person, but as a hockey player, I’m still trying to figure out how he’s able to kind of turn it on and off like a light switch. It’s pretty impressive.”
The uncertainty surrounding Hughes and his future isn’t impacting the Wild, who lead the Central Division and sit third overall in the NHL standings.
Foligno believes the fact the Wild are an older, more mature group helps. As for Hughes?
“I think he’s just a consummate pro,” said Foligno. “There’s guys that it consumes them, right. You can see it. When it’s a contract year, they’re nervous, the anxiety of it. Quinn doesn’t play with anxiety. Quinn doesn’t know how to live with anxiety, I don’t think. He’s a special player and person in that way where he can separate the two. He can compartmentalize a lot of things. We have no doubt that he loves being here and it’s his decision so you rest easy with that.”
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The Wild could have defenceman Brock Faber back in the lineup as early as this weekend.
“Possibility for Saturday but no guarantees,” said coach John Hynes. “I’d say within the next couple games.”
The 24-year-old has been sidelined all season as he recovers from a fractured skull sustained in a pre-season game on Sept. 25.
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Projected Leafs lineup for Thursday’s game:
Cowan - Matthews - Roslovic
Tverberg - Tavares - Nylander
McKenna - Paul - Joshua
Duhaime - Blueger - MacEwen
McCabe - Raddysh
Ekman-Larsson - Stecher
Mermis - McWard
Stolarz starts
Bobrovsky