{"id":1242,"date":"2023-03-07T19:41:27","date_gmt":"2023-03-07T19:41:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/?p=1242"},"modified":"2023-03-07T19:41:27","modified_gmt":"2023-03-07T19:41:27","slug":"maple-leafs-horrible-luck-could-be-worse","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/oldprof.nhltradetalk.com\/index.php\/2023\/03\/07\/maple-leafs-horrible-luck-could-be-worse\/","title":{"rendered":"Maple Leafs\u2019 Horrible Luck Could Have Been Far Worse"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

By Stan Smith<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Saturday, March 4, in Vancouver, the Toronto Maple Leafs were either very unlucky or very lucky. In a game where they lost 4-1 to the Vancouver Canucks, they came within a razor\u2019s edge of losing three of their best players.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

John Tavares<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

In the first minute of play in the game, team captain John Tavares was rocked by a hit by 6-foot-8 and 230-pound Tyler Myers. Tavares never missed a shift in that game and went on to play 21:21 of ice time. He did receive another fairly significant hit later in the game.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

On Monday at the Maple Leafs’ practice, Tavares was not a full-time participant and wore a grey \u201cextra player\u201d jersey.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
John Tavares, Maple Leafs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

When asked about Tavares following practice Head Coach Sheldon Keefe stated:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cHe was not feeling himself today<\/em> … wasn\u2019t feeling great<\/em> … wanted to see exactly where he was at. He got through it. He was feeling a little bit better than he thought.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cOut of an abundance of caution, we will leave him out of the lineup tomorrow and get him ready for Saturday.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: Revisiting Maple Leafs\u2019 Trade of Phil Kessel to the Penguins<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Tavares Might Have Been Injured, But He Also Was Under the Weather<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

When Keefe was questioned about whether or not Tavares\u2019 issue was related to the punishment he took in Vancouver he answered:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cYou are a little more mindful of it, but there is a lot more\u2026 There is a bug going around. We have been travelling<\/em> a lot. A lot is happening there.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We just want to be sure. He got through the entire practice today and felt good, but more on our side of it than his, let\u2019s just be cautious on this one. As long as he continues to progress well, he will be ready to go for Saturday.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

He did take some hits certainly in the last game. It is not an easy trip. It hasn\u2019t been easy travel. Any time you aren\u2019t feeling yourself, you have to be smart about it. That is really all it is about: making sure he is feeling 100% and ready to go for Saturday.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Reading between the lines and trying not to read too much into it, it appears that Keefe was saying Tavares was not 100% and they had no idea why.  <\/p>\n\n\n\n

Auston Matthews<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With just over a minute to go in the first period Auston Matthews took a slapshot by Canucks\u2019 defenseman Noah Juulsen off the inside of the left leg when he attempted to block the shot. He went down in obvious agony. There he remained on the ice for a considerable time before being helped off the ice and into the locker room.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Matthews missed most of the second period but did return and finished the game. He did state following the game that he was still in some pain from the shot. Visually, once he returned he did seem to be labouring somewhat with his skating.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Watching the slow-motion replays it appears the shot hit him just below his left knee. If the contact point had been one or two inches higher the outcome could have been much worse. Matthews could have easily missed the rest of the season with a severe knee injury.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n

\n
\"\"
Michael Bunting and Auston Matthews, Maple Leafs<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n

As it was, Matthews was a full participant in practice two days later. Was he 100%? We have no way of knowing. From where it appears the shot hit him we would guess he was in no danger of injuring himself any further by playing.\u00a0 It would not surprise us if there would be some lingering discomfort.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Related: Maple Leafs\u2019 Quick Hits: O\u2019Reilly vs. Foligno, Is Tampa Bay Toast?<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Ryan O\u2019Reilly<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Late in the second period, a shot hit newly acquired Ryan O\u2019Reilly. Guess who? From, of all people, Auston Matthews. Matthews had just returned to the game after sitting out most of the period. The shot caught O\u2019Reilly on the 2nd finger of his left hand breaking the finger. O\u2019Reilly left the game and did not return.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keefe announced at practice on the following Monday that the team placed O\u2019Reilly on Long-Term Injury Reserve. That means that O\u2019Reilly will miss, by the NHL LTIR rule, at the very least 24 days and 10 games. If our calculations are correct that means that he will be eligible to return for the game at home on March 29th against the Florida Panthers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Being Eligible and Being Ready Are Two Different Things<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

The question there is not as much when he is \u201celigible\u201d to return, but more when will he be \u201ccapable\u201d of returning. The timeline for a broken finger, depending on the severity of the break and whether surgery is needed, can be in the four to the six-week range. If the injury is bad enough that O\u2019Reilly is out six weeks that takes him to April 15th. The 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs are scheduled to begin on April 17th.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Keefe stated that they expected O\u2019Reilly to be ready for playoffs. If he is out for the full six weeks exactly how \u201cready\u201d will he be? The good thing about a hand injury is it does not prevent a player from doing a lot of things to stay in shape, skating being the most important. But, it does prevent the player from holding a hockey stick properly and doing everything that comes along with that.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

Maple Leafs F O'Reilly to LTIR with broken finger.

MORE: https:\/\/t.co\/UDCWwCd3de<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/u1BxnTFE9T<\/a><\/p>— TSN (@TSN_Sports) March 6, 2023<\/a><\/blockquote>