John Tavares and several other players are nursing ailments and have yet to restart full-contact practices.
The Toronto Maple Leafs management has the opportunity to sit down and have long discussions regarding their 2024-25 roster with four days off between exhibition games.
Monday afternoon the Toronto Maple Leafs Press Release Twitter account released information that 2024 first round pick Ben Danford was loaned back to the Oshawa Generals. Unfortunately for the Belleville, Ontario native he was unable to get dress in any of the pre-season games after sustaining a concussion during the rookie camp in early September.
Danford who sustained the injury on September 12 was not expected to contend or even have a long look in camp this year, but it would have been good experience for the clubs 31st overall pick.
Danford will now return for his third season with the Generals and after serving as the alternate captain of the club in 2023-24, the organization has yet to announce the captaincy for the upcoming year which just might be waiting for him when he returns. Last years captain Stuart Rolofs moved onto his professional career in the East Coast Hockey League for this upcoming season..
Toronto Maple Leafs Training Camp Cuts and Updates
Mark Masters reported a handful of injured players were on the ice in non contract sweaters ahead of Maple Leafs practice on Monday.
John Tavares who has dressed in two games so far this pre-season sustained an injury Thursday night in Toronto when Montreal Canadiens depth forward Michael Pezzetta drove his knee into the lower right thigh/knee area of the former Maple Leafs captain. Tavares would play sparrowingly throughout the game and appeared to be favoring the leg throughout the contest.
The former first overall pick was having a strong start to his training camp with a goal and four points through the first two contests.
Calle Järnkrok is in the midst of a fight for a roster spot despite having two-years left on his contract with a $2.1 million cap hit. The veteran forward of nearly 700 career games has dressed in just one pre-season game has missed practices since late last week and with each passing day his spot on the team looks more bleak. Järnkrok missed 30-games last year and now with a lower body injury rumours are circulating of the team moving on so the current injury does not help with him sticking around.
2024 trade deadline acquisition Connor Dewar has yet to suit up in a game after having shoulder surgery last May. Initial reports back in the spring was that the team was expecting him ready for training camp, however, he has yet to take off the non contact sweater. Dewar is expected to fill a role on the team’s fourth line.
Jani Hakanpää has also yet to make his pre-season debut after having a serious knee injury last year and he remains in a non contact sweater.
