The Maple Leafs returned to practice on Friday where Craig Berube made a surprising scratch to prepare for the return of Bobby McMann on Saturday.
It had originally appeared as though McMann might return to the lineup on Thursday after the Leafs placed Alex Nylander on waivers on Wednesday. However, that was not the case.
Thankfully, on Friday, McMann was a full participant in line rushes, skating on the third line with Fraser Minten and Max Domi.
In light of McMann’s impending return, Ryan Reaves took practice reps as the eighth defenseman, skating with Philippe Myers, indicating that Reaves will be scratched for Saturday’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.
Pontus Holmberg also shifted down to the fourth line with Connor Dewar and Steven Lorentz with the addition of a healthy McMann.
Unfortunately for Nick Robertson, it looks like he will be scratched for a fourth straight game.
The top two lines for the Leafs remained the same, which isn’t exactly a surprise, especially given how well the Max Pacioretty, John Tavares, William Nylander line played on Thursday.
Anthony Stolarz suffered an injury in the first period on Thursday, which forced the Leafs to recall Dennis Hildeby, who will likely see one game over the weekend as the Leafs have a back-to-back on Saturday and Sunday.
David Kampf also took to the ice on Friday as he continues to recover recovers from a lower-body injury. His timeline for return however is still indefinite.
With the Leafs having a back-to-back, it wouldn’t come as a surprise to see both Robertson and Reaves subbed into the lineup on Sunday to give a couple of Leafs a night off. However, that will also depend on the performance of the team on Saturday in Detroit.
