The Toronto Maple Leafs may have may three players return to action soon, who many fans forgot about.
The Olympic break could be a blessing in disguise for the Leafs, as it's given the majority of their team time to rest and recover for the stretch run. Three players who were ailing prior to the break that we kind of forgot about where Morgan Rielly, Chris Tanev and Dakota Joshua.
The main reason we forgot about Rielly was because the team's record is so good without him. Since 2022, the Leafs have a 24-5-1 record, which is hard to ignore. If you're pro-Rielly, you'd say that the team is playing extra hard during those games as a unit and the record isn't sustainable in the long run becuase you're missing your "best" defenseman. However, if you're anti-Rielly, it's an easy argument to say that he's overpaid and the team is just better without him.
Whether you like him or not, Rielly has a no-trade-clause, so he's most likely not going anywhere soon. With that being said, head coach Craig Berube said that Rielly is "good to go" so he will return to action on February 25.
Fans may argue about Rielly, but they would all agree that the team is better with Chris Tanev. The 36 year old defenseman has only played 11 games this year, but it's possible he returns soon. It's not the most optimistic quote but Berube said the following about Tanev: “He’s going to skate here for the next few days on his own and see where he’s at." (via: The Toronto Sun)
Rielly, Joshua and Tanev may return to the line-up after the break
I guess it's positive news that he's skating, but I'd say it's probably more likely that he doesn't play for the Leafs and it would be in the best interest of both parties if he sits out the remainder of the season, as he still has four years remaining on his contract.
Lastly, the one player who I've forgot about the most, who may be returning soon is Dakota Joshua, who hasn't played since lacerating his kidney on December 28. Many projected him as the team's best free agent signing last summer, but he's only scored six goals and registered 10 points in 36 games thus far, before the gruelling injury.
If Joshua can return and look like the player he was with the 2023-24 Vancouver Canucks, he would really help solidify the depth of this team. The same thing applies with Tanev and Rielly, as the Leafs have been forced to play Troy Stecher and Philippe Myers way more minutes than they want to.
The Leafs season hasn't gone the way we all hoped and you can't always look at injuries as an excuse, but playing without Joshua, Rielly and Tanev is a huge loss. Let's hope they can all return after the break and we can finally see what a healthy roster is made of.