The Toronto Maple Leafs' latest injury update has fans feeling uneasy as Oliver Ekman-Larsson was injured within the first few minutes of Wednesday night's overtime loss to the Detroit Red Wings. Ekman-Larsson suffered a lower-body injury, and concern has escalated beyond the Leafs as Ekman-Larsson is set to represent Team Sweden at the 2026 Olympic Games in Milan.
Ekman-Larsson expected to miss time
Ekman-Larsson is projected to miss some time, according to Chris Johnson of The Athletic. Team Sweden will have to begin searching for a replacement depending on the severity of the injury. Ekman-Larsson's timeline is still unclear. Craig Berube mentioned that he will know more regarding the injury tomorrow.
Team Sweden is dealing with injuries at the worst time possible. William Nylander is another player who will remain out without a timeline, as well as Victor Hedman, Erik Karlsson, Gabe Landeskog, and Joel Eriksson Ek. They will have tough decisions to make if these players are not ready in time. For the Maple Leafs sake, they are hoping Nylander and OEL are ready to play and could return to the lineup as soon as possible.
What the Maple Leafs need moving forward
Ekman-Larsson has had an unexpected stellar season with the Maple Leafs. He currently sits fifth in team scoring, producing eight goals and 23 assists while honing a +8. The Swede will leave a massive hole in the Maple Leafs lineup, leaving Brad Treliving facing the question if it is time to acquire a player to fill the gaps as the Maple Leafs are in the most important time of their season, sitting just one point out of the final wild card spot.
If Treliving decides to wait to pull the trigger on a defenceman, the Leafs will need some of their players to step up and play a larger role. Morgan Rielly is a player who stands above the rest. He has not had a great season with the Maple Leafs, and this seems like the perfect time to play some of the best hockey of his career. He will need to take care of the puck on both ends of the ice and play more reliable hockey in the defensive end.