Toronto Maple Leafs Are Almost Ready to Unleash Their Secret Weapon

There’s something great on the way for the Toronto Maple Leafs that should help propel them to prominence in time for the NHL postseason.

It’s been a rocky year for the Toronto Maple Leafs. They entered the season looking fantastic on paper but it didn’t take long for reality to set in. This team isn’t one that’s going to blow the league away.

Now in the thick of a playoff hunt (when  play resumes), the Leafs play has been mediocre. And yet, fans should still be hopeful because this team is on the precipice of playing their best hockey of the season. It’s all thanks to their secret weapon.

This secret weapon was a known entity when Kyle Dubas was negotiating with other teams’ general managers ahead of the trade deadline. He did not acquiesce to fan demands but instead did what he had to, making a highly graded trade with the Los Angeles Kings that addressed team deficiencies. The move gave chapfallen fans a reason to believe in the Leafs once more, that is until they stumbled so mightily that they became the laughing stock of the league.

Time has passed and the Leafs have begun to right the ship. Their secret weapon is almost ready to be deployed. Their ace in the hole are the players that will be returning from injury.

Welcomed Back

Cody Ceci recently returned to the lineup. He had missed time with an ankle injury. When he first went down there was no timeline for a return. That actually caused speculation that he wouldn’t be back until the playoffs. Luckily, he has managed to recover far sooner. The Buds welcomed him back for their March 6 loss to the Anaheim Ducks.

As delighted as Sheldon Keefe and his group must have been to get Ceci, they were certainly elated when Morgan Rielly was declared fit to play. His broken foot suffered in mid-January might have been the most substantial landmine to the team’s fortunes.

Rielly has been a key to the Leafs success. Having him back bolster’s the team’s ability to defend. It also improves their powerplay and gives the coaching staff a reliable partner for any of their players.

The Leafs still have players on the injured reserve. Two of them should be back in time for the playoffs. They are significant pieces for the club.

Still to Come

Jake Muzzin broke his hand in a late February game and hasn’t been seen at the rink since. At the time of his injury, he was expected to miss four weeks. That puts the defenseman back with the Toronto Maple Leafs with six games remaining in the season.

The Leafs are far stronger with Muzzin and Rielly skating for them. The pair are the squad’s best defenders. With both patrolling the ice, opposing offenses will have their work cut out for them.

Toronto will also receive a talented winger to aid at the other end of the rink. A few days before the end of 2019, Ilya Mikheyev suffered wrist lacerations. After undergoing surgery, Souper-man was expected to miss at least three months. If that timing holds true, it would line up with the team’s final three games of the regular season.

In his first season in the NHL, Mikheyev has seen action in 39 games. He recorded 8 goals and 15 assists for a total of 23 points. The 6’3″ 25-year-old adds another scoring threat for the club’s top six. He isn’t feared by just soup cans but opposing goaltenders too.

The Maple Leafs appear to be in a good position to head into the postseason with a dynamic group of players. If they can manage to remain healthy, a difficult task in this current environment, they should be expected to finally play a far more complete game.

When the Toronto Maple Leafs play again is anyone’s guess, but when they resume play, they are sure to be a much healthier group than they have been.