The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Simon Benoit is dealing with an upper-body injury while center Nicolas Roy has a lower-body injury. Neither player took part in practice today while goaltender Joseph Woll was also absent due to illness. Benoit was a regular on Toronto’s third pairing last season while Roy is likely to break camp as their third-line center after being acquired from Vegas just before free agency opened up.
Meanwhile, there is some good news on injury front for the Maple Leafs as well. Head coach Craig Berube told reporters including Nick Barden of The Hockey News that forward Max Domi is expected to rejoin the team for practice on Sunday. He has yet to take part in training camp due to a lower-body injury. This could be a big camp for Domi with a spot on Toronto’s top line up for grabs following Mitch Marner’s departure and as their roster stands, he’s one of the players who could have a shot at that spot.
Other injury news from around the Eastern Conference:
- After exiting practice early on Friday, it appears the Rangers have dodged a significant injury to Artemi Panarin. Newsday’s Colin Stephenson notes (Twitter link) that while the winger didn’t take part in practice today, he’s listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury. It’s a contract year for the 33-year-old so he’ll be looking for a big year to help boost his market value. Despite a 31-point drop in points to 89 last season, Panarin still led New York in scoring for the sixth straight year, comprising his entire tenure with the team.
- Senators defenseman Nick Jensen took part in practice today but not the scrimmage game, relays Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch (Twitter link). The veteran underwent hip surgery back in May with the belief that he is a little ahead of schedule although his availability for the start of the season next month remains in question. Jensen was a big contributor on Ottawa’s back end in 2024-25, notching 21 points in 71 games while logging over 20 minutes a night.