A common theme of the Toronto Maple Leafs season has been injuries to defensemen, and unfortunately, this week has brought more of the same. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters today that T.J. Brodie is day-to-day after blocking a shot against the Ottawa Senators last Saturday, calling him questionable for tomorrow’s game against the New York Islanders.
If there’s one position where Toronto is built to withstand injuries, though, it’s defense. A flurry of deadline adds and already formidable depth has left the Leafs with a bevy of NHL-capable options to step in, and it’s likely that Mark Giordano will return to the lineup in Brodie’s place. It’s not a small absence for the Leafs, though, as Brodie ranks second among Leafs defenders this season in ice time per game.
- Netminder Ilya Samsonov told reporters today that he’s been playing with a minor injury for the past number of games. The Hockey News’ David Alter reports that it dates back to a win late last month against the Seattle Kraken. It hasn’t seemed to impact Samsonov’s play that much, and although he’s only made four appearances since then, he’s maintained a 2-1-1 record and .914 save percentage since, in line with his season average.
- Trade deadline acquisition Noel Acciari gave reporters an update on his condition, saying he’s feeling good and ready to play tomorrow after missing Saturday’s game for precautionary reasons. Acciari played just 5:36 in last Friday’s game against Carolina before a collision with Jesse Puljujarvi that involved a head impact sidelined him for the rest of the game. Since joining the Leafs, Acciari has three goals in 13 games and is averaging 12:51 per game.