Maple Leafs unveil first lineup without Auston Matthews after injury

The Toronto Maple Leafs are set to head down the QEW to face off against the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night. Without Auston Matthews in the lineup, after suffering a season-ending injury in the last game against the Anaheim Ducks, they have made several key lineup changes.

Key changes in the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup without Auston Matthews

Dakota Joshua will draw back into the lineup after sitting as a healthy scratch in the last game. It is looking as if Joshua will slide onto the third line alongside Bo Groulx and Nicholas Robertson. The Maple Leafs have seen success when pairing Joshua with Robertson. This was a line before Joshua had to take time off due to a kidney injury that pushed the play and acted like a spark plug for the then-desperate Maple Leafs team. Joshua will bring a physical, hard-checking game to the Leafs' lineup, which was sometimes missing against the Ducks.

The Maple Leafs will also slide some forwards up or down the lineup without Matthews. John Tavares will join William Nylander and Matias Maccelli on the first line, as Maccelli continues his strong play as of late. This will give the Maple Leafs' forward core a completely different look. Against the Ducks, Nylander was the only player of the three on the first line, as Easton Cowan will now shift down to the second line alongside Max Domi at centre and Matthew Knies on the other wing. Domi has struggled as a centre, but the depleted Maple Leafs leave Craig Berube and the rest of the coaching staff with little to no other options. The fourth line will remain the same with Jacob Quillan centring Michael Pezzetta and Calle Jarnkrok on the wings.

Joseph Woll remains the goalie between the pipes

Joseph Woll will remain behind the pipes for the third consecutive game as the Maple Leafs gear up for Saturday. Woll's 36-save performance on Thursday led the Maple Leafs to their first win since returning from the Olympic break. Despite the Maple Leafs' struggles this season, Woll has maintained a strong .905 save percentage and a 3.13 goals-against average. He has clearly been the best netminder the Maple Leafs have had all season, as Anthony Stolarz has struggled with injuries and, since returning, Dennis Hildeby has been the number one goalie with the Toronto Marlies.

The Maple Leafs will be an interesting watch for the remainder of the season without Auston Matthews. Missing such a big piece in their forward core may lead to offensive struggles and overall depth issues throughout the team. The Maple Leafs currently sit 25th in the NHL standings and may fall to 27th to give them the best overall odds of keeping their first-round pick in the upcoming draft.