Craig Berube loads up Leafs first line in latest lineup update

The Toronto Maple Leafs are welcoming in some must-needed players back into the lineup for Saturday's showdown in Philadelphia, and head coach Craig Berube has made it clear that he wants to get some offense going.

At Leafs practice on Friday afternoon, Berube unveiled what lineup he is most likely going with against a fairly hot Philadelphia Flyers team. Notably, after missing one game -- the game where the Columbus Blue Jackets steamrolled the Leafs -- William Nylander is back and he is playing on the first line with Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies.

Leafs looking for offensive jolt with new lineup

The rest of the lineup falls into line with that high-end first line. Mattias Maccelli and Bobby McMann are the wingers for John Tavares; Dakota Joshua and Nicolas Roy stay linked together with rookie Easton Cowan on the third; and Max Domi is the Leafs' fourth-line center with Sammy Blais and Calle Jarnkrok.

Scott Laughton was back on the ice for the first time, but was just in the rotation with Nick Robertson -- he is most likely not going to be in the lineup for his return to Philadelphia, unfortunately.

It is interesting that Berube has decided to give this lineup such firepower up top -- he clearly wants something to happen for Matthews, who has started this season on a tragic decline. Having Nylander back is good, but also the familiarity of Knies should only help.

When Nylander was first place next to Matthews before the Swedish winger suffered his injury, Knies was down with John Tavares as Berube tried to shuffle up the top-six pairings. But now, it's the top Leafs forwards all together on the same line.

Chris Tanev set to return vs. Flyers

Thankfully, there is some more news on the blue line. Chris Tanev is set to return in Philadelphia on Saturday. He is set to make his comeback next to Oliver Ekman-Larsson on the Leafs' third pair, with Simon Benoit and Jake McCabe linked and the locked-in Morgan Rielly and Brandon Carlo pair at the top.

Tanev has been out of action since being injured in the middle of the game against the New Jersey Devils on Oct. 21. In the four games he has missed, the Leafs have gone 2-1-1, but have not looked good whatsoever, even in the victories.

We will see if this change to the lineup does anything to bring the Leafs anywhere close to looking like a good hockey team destined to at least make the playoffs.