Tavares missed the morning skate due to illness and will be a game-time decision vs. the Penguins. If Tavares can't play, Pontus Holmberg is expected to move up to the second line and Ryan Reaves would draw back into the lineup. Max Pacioretty will replace him on the top power-play unit.
Stolarz allowed one goal on 27 shots in the Maple Leafs' 1-0 loss in Montreal on opening night. Despite the loss, it was a strong showing for Stolarz, who could see extra playing time while Joseph Woll is out with a lower-body injury. The Maple Leafs are -195 home favourites vs. the Penguins on Saturday.
Reaves only saw 7:36 TOI in Toronto's season opener on Wednesday but will head to the press box as a healthy scratch on Thursday in New Jersey for Bobby McCann. Reaves only appeared in 49 games in 2024-25, and it appears he will be in and out of the lineup again this season.
McMann was a healthy scratch for Toronto's season opener on Wednesday but finds himself in the lineup for Ryan Reaves on Thursday in New Jersey. The 28-year-old had a surprise breakout season in 2023-24, with 15 goals, 24 points, 52 PIMs and a +13 plus/minus in 56 games played.
With Toronto on the back end of a back-to-back and Anthony Stolarz coming off a 1-0 loss to Montreal, Dennis Hildeby will make his NHL debut and start for Toronto on Thursday in New Jersey. The towering 6'7" netminder had a solid season as the Toronto Marlies (AHL) starter in 2023-24 with his 21-11-7 record, 2.41 GAA and .913 SV%. He will head to New Jersey to take on the undefeated (2-0-0) Devils, whose new head coach Sheldon Keefe will be looking for a revenge victory against the team that let him go during the offseason.
Toronto will be without goaltender Joseph Woll until at least October 16th due to a lower-body injury after he was placed on the injured reserve earlier Wednesday. The 26-year-old netminder was expected to be the Maple Leafs' number one goaltender this season but will pass that duty on to Anthony Stolarz while he recovers. In 25 games played in 2023-24, Woll had a 12-11-1 record with a 2.94 GAA and .907 SV%.
Originally expected to start the season opener for the Maple Leafs, Woll will not play on Wednesday night due to a lower-body issue. Anthony Stolarz will make his Maple Leafs debut in the crease and will likely be backed up by Dennis Hildeby, who was recalled on an emergency basis from the Toronto Marlies (AHL) earlier today. The 26-year-old Woll battled injuries last season and was limited to only 25 appearances (12-11-1), posting a 2.94 GAA and .907 SV%.
Stolarz was signed by the Maple Leafs in the offseason under the presumption that he would be a heavy-workload backup behind Joseph Woll, but he will start for their season opener as Woll is battling through lower-body tightness. The 30-year-old Stolarz posted career bests with a 2.03 GAA and .925 SV% in 27 games with the Florida Panthers last season (16-7-2). Stolarz also set a career-high with 24 starts last season and has only started more than 12 games twice in his career, but the expectation is that Stolarz should set a new career-high in starts this season. The Maple Leafs enter the action on Wednesday as -190 road favorites against the Montreal Canadiens.
Mermis signed a one-year, $775,000 contract with the Maple Leafs in the offseason but will begin his 2024-25 campaign on the Long-Term Injured Reserve due to an upper-body injury. The 30-year-old is week-to-week after undergoing successful jaw surgery last week. In 47 games with Minnesota in 2023-24, he had three goals, eight points and 33 PIMs.
Jarnkork has been placed on Long-Term Injured Reserve due to a lower-body injury after he re-aggravated a training camp injury in last Thursday's preseason game. The 33-year-old was originally day-to-day with the injury but is now without a timetable to return. If he is forced to miss significant time it will be a massive loss for the Maple Leafs after he had 10 goals, 21 points, and a +16 plus/minus in 52 games played in 2023-24.
Hakanpaa was absent from a large portion of training camp but did begin practicing with his new club last week. The bruting 6'7 defenseman spent the last three seasons with the Dallas Stars but battled injuries last season, missing the entirety of the playoffs while playing only 64 regular season games.
Cowan was never really expected to make Toronto out of training camp and has been loaned back to the London Knights (OHL) for the upcoming 2024-25 season. The 19-year-old who was Toronto's 2023 1st-round pick (28th overall) will rejoin an already stacked team in London that currently ranks third in the CHL's top ten rankings after week 1.
Jarnkork has been dealing with a lingering lower-body injury throughout training camp and re-aggravated it in Thursday's preseason game. At this point, it seems unlikely that he will be ready for the Maple Leafs season opener on Wednesday as the forward is considered day-to-day.
Webber is a towering 6'7 defenseman who was drafted 99th overall by the Carolina Hurricanes in the 2019 NHL Entry Draft. The 23-year-old has spent the last four seasons playing collegiate hockey for Boston University, scoring 16 points (1G / 15A) in 123 combined games.
Pacioretty was impressive while on a PTO for the Maple Leafs, scoring five points (2G / 3A) in four preseason games. The 35-year-old Pacioretty has six 30-goal seasons under his belt but has been limited to only 91 games over the past three seasons due to ongoing Achilles injuries. He scored 23 points (4G / 19A) in 47 games with the Washington Capitals last season.
Lorentz signed a PTO with the Maple Leafs at the beginning of training camp and has earned himself a one-year contract. The 28-year-old Lorentz was in and out of the lineup for the Florida Panthers last season, tallying three points (1G / 2A) in 38 games. He will serve as a bottom-six forward for the Maple Leafs this season.
Robertson was absent from Toronto's practice on Friday and it was announced the 23-year-old left-winger is day-to-day with an upper-body injury. Robertson is entering his second full season with Toronto and will hope to be healthy by their season opener on October 9th (Montreal) if he hopes to surpass the 56 games played he put up in 2023-24.
Toronto was without Calle Jarnkrok for their practice on Friday after it was announced the forward is considered day-to-day with a lower-body injury. The 33-year-old forward is entering his third season with the Maple Leafs and will hope to be healthy and ready for their season opener on October 9th vs. Montreal.
McCabe did not skate Friday for Toronto's practice and is considered day-to-day with an upper-body injury. The 30-year-old will hope to be ready for Toronto's opening night game vs Montreal on Wednesday, October 9th as he is an integral part of their defensive core. In 73 games with Toronto in 2023-24, he had eight goals, 28 points and 56 PIMS.
Months after speculation of his signing, Jani Hakanpaa has agreed to a one-year, $1.47 million contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs. The 32-year-old stay-at-home defenseman will join his fourth NHL team in his seventh season after putting up two goals, 12 points, 33 PIMs and a +10 plus/minus in 64 games with Dallas in 2023-24.
