Many Toronto Maple Leafs fans would like to fully forget about the disappointing 2025-26 NHL campaign that the team had. After all, the Maple Leafs had their worst performance in over a decade that led them to finish fifth-last in the league and way outside of the playoff picture. One of the main factors that played a role in their demise was the fact that Toronto dealt with many injuries that prevented them from having their full, effective roster on the ice for the most part of last year.
Well, that biggest worry for the Maple Leafs from last season has now unfortunately resurfaced once again this season just one quarter through the schedule. Since the beginning of the 2026-27 season, the Leafs have seen almost one third of their roster hit the infirmary at some point in time.
Injury woes that the Maple Leafs consistently were faced with last season is unfortunately resurfacing again this year
Top defender Chris Tanev had missed nine games earlier in the season due to an upper-body injury and has now since returned, but playing with a managed workload. Star veteran John Tavares also missed nine games of action as a result of a lower-body injury and has also returned to action just this past weekend.
In addition, one of their key acquisitions in Kirill Marchenko has been on the sidelines with a lower-body injury since October 26. Another depth acquisition on defense in Nick Blankenburg is nursing an upper-body injury since October 22. On top of that, depth players such as Marshall Rifai and Miles Wood are on the injured reserve with ailments as well.
Not to be outdone, just this past week, Toronto also lost key players in Morgan Rielly, Jack Roslovic and Colton Sissons. Rielly had suffered a lower-body injury in the game against the Montreal Canadiens this past Saturday. Sissons met his injury fate just one day later when he left the game against the New Jersey Devils with a lower-body injury as well. As for Roslovic, one of the Leafs’ top offensive producers to date, his lower-body ailment came from the game against the Utah Mammoth earlier last week, but played through it against the Canadiens on Saturday but was not well enough for Sunday’s match against the Devils.
How long the key members of the Maple Leafs will remain out is unknown, but this is starting to be reminiscent of what transpired last season for Toronto that eventually led to their ineffective overall play. The Leafs had both of their starting goaltenders Anthony Stolarz and Joseph Woll, along with key defensemen in Tanev and Brandon Carlo, forwards William Nylander and Dakota Joshua, as well as star center Auston Matthews all spent significant chunks of time on the injury reserve that ultimately spelt doom for the team’s chances at making the Stanley Cup Playoffs. If the current trend is undoubtedly heading towards that once again, it could be another long and painful road for the Leafs in the foreseeable future.
Hopefully, the injuries will clear up fast and that Toronto will get their reinforcements back sooner than expected. Otherwise, Maple Leafs fans likely can’t bear to endure another injury-plagued season that could see their team have their playoff hopes quashed even before the turn of the calendar year.
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