The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to get a huge boost on Wednesday night as they take on the Blue Jackets in Columbus.
Mark Masters is reporting that captain Auston Matthews, Nic Roy, and Matthew Knies will all be back in the lineup. Matthews has been out since November 11 after taking a cheap shot from Boston Bruins defenseman Nikita Zadorov.
Meanwhile, Knies had been out since November 15 after dealing with a lower-body issue for a while. Per Masters, Knies feels great.
Matthew Knies: "I feel great. I feel a lot better. I'm just excited to get back in the lineup. It sucks watching. You just want to be out there to help the guys so happy to do that today"
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 26, 2025
Says he had been dealing with lower-body issue for "probably more than a month"@TSN_Sports
Roy has also been out of the lineup for the last couple of weeks. But his return is crucial as the Maple Leafs’ center depth has taken a decimating hit.
Auston Matthews & Nicolas Roy on the ice again today at Leafs skate in Columbus @TSN_Sports pic.twitter.com/rGCNQdJNqt
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 26, 2025
The returns promise to boost a languishing Maple Leafs squad that enters Wednesday night’s action in last place in the Atlantic Division.
The forward lines could look like this, according to Daily Faceoff’s projections:
- Knies-Matthews-Robertson
- Nylander-Tavares-Jarnkrok
- McMann-Roy-Cowan
- Domi-Laughton-Lorentz
The only change worth making here is giving Cowan more ice time with Tavares. Perhaps that will change as the game wears on in Columbus.
The defense could line up like this:
- Rielly-Ekman-Larsson
- Benoit-McCabe
- Mermis-Stecher
Brandon Carlo has resumed skating but doesn’t appear to be nearing a return. Chris Tanev has also skated, but looks even further away than Carlo.
Joseph Woll likely gets the start with Dennis Hildeby backing him up. Anthony Stolarz remains out. There’s no firm timetable for his return.
The Maple Leafs will be looking to snap a two-game losing streak. Toronto lost an embarrassing 5-2 decision on Saturday night. While the Leafs played with a patchwork lineup, the effort just wasn’t there.
The return of three lineup regulars should give the club a major boost. A win in Columbus would be a fantastic way to spark a potential turnaround in hopes of salvaging this season.