During the Toronto Maple Leafs injury woes in recent weeks, they ended up getting a first hand look at some of their prospects and reserve players that helped fill the void.
In doing so, each of those players provided valuable contributions in one way or another to help keep the Toronto Maple Leafs winning despite all of the adversity that they faced.
However, with Auston Matthews, Max Pacioretty, Ryan Reaves and Matthew Knies already returning to action, along with many of the remaining Leafs players on the injured reserve set to return soon this month, the team could be left with many abled bodies but not enough to spots to play them all.
Consequently, some of the players will be bound to lose their roster spots in the coming weeks. Here, we will take a look at 4 Maple Leafs players that likely won’t finish the 2024 year on the roster.
4 Toronto Maple Leafs players that won’t finish 2024 on the roster
Alex Nylander
It has certainly been a feel-good story to have the Nylander brothers William and Alex finally playing on the same team. That dream became a reality when the Leafs were hit hard with injuries last month as Alex Nylander was finally called up following an impressive start with the Toronto Marlies. In 14 games, Nylander has posted 8 goals and 4 assists for 12 points prior to his promotion.
Playing mainly on the bottom-six for the Maple Leafs, he has failed to record a point with 4 PIM and 4 shots on goal in his five games to date. Nylander has also found himself in and out of the lineup more recently as a result of players finally returning to full health. With many others around him delivering in various aspects of the game in helping Toronto to success, Nylander will likely need some more seasoning with the Marlies to polish and round out his game such that he can be more productive with the Leafs in the long run.