The Toronto Maple Leafs continue to juggle their roster with a minor move on Monday, sending defenceman Cole McWard back down to the Toronto Marlies.
The move came as no surprise to many, as Chris Tanev rejoined the Maple Leafs lineup during their 4-2 victory over the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday. The move reduces the Maple Leafs roster from 23 to 22 players, leaving Toronto with an open roster spot.
Cole McWard has played nine games in the NHL during his three-year career split between the Vancouver Canucks and New York Islanders. He played a career-high five games with the Canucks during the 2022-23 campaign. The Missouri native has had a strong start to the season with the Marlies, producing three assists in five games while having a +1 plus/minus. The Maple Leafs signed the 25-year-old on July 2nd through the 2027-28 season as part of the multiple depth signings that day.
Maple Leafs Set to Begin Six Game Homestand
Toronto is set to begin a six-game homestand when they host the Utah Mammoth on Saturday. With McWard sent back to the Marlies, the Maple Leafs are expected to make some lineup changes with star forward John Tavares entering the third week of his recovery who sustained a lower-body injury against the Buffalo Sabres back on October 15th. Forwards Kirill Marchenko and Miles Wood, as well as defenseman Nick Blankenburg and Marshall Rifai, will continue to be out for the Maple Leafs.
With only 22 players currently on the Maple Leafs roster, they have given themselves the flexibility to activate someone if necessary. If they don’t choose to use it ahead of Tuesday, it may come later in the week when they host the New Jersey Devils and Montreal Canadiens back-to-back nights.
The Toronto Maple Leafs during the early stages of the season have received inconsistencies from their goaltending, especially from future Hall of Famer Sergei Bobrovsky. Bobrovsky hasn’t quite looked like himself during the early portion of the season, with the Maple Leafs hoping he can rebound as we have seen in past seasons. The Maple Leafs may look to opt to recall Artur Akhtyamov, who was with the Maple Leafs earlier on in the season and served as the backup against the San Jose Sharks and Columbus Blue Jackets. This move ensures that Bobrovsky and Anthony Stolarz each get a full day of rest. This move has shown success as it was during the beginning of the Maple Leafs four game winning streak at the end of October.
Maple Leafs Need to Find Consistency
Maple Leafs head coach Jim Hiller has expressed that the Maple Leafs have been far too inconsistent thus far. This roster decision can help play a role in building chemistry and finally hitting their stride. With fewer players moving around the roster, it could help depth players in particular, so they can just worry about what is happening on the ice, rather than their spot on the team.
“No, I don’t think so. I think we’ve been inconsistent — too inconsistent.”
“If there’s one thing that I would point to, it’s that we’ve had some great moments in games, and we’ve had some times where we just haven’t had a good pushback. That has to be addressed.”
Maple Leafs Make Unexpected Roster Move Ahead of Six-Game Homestand