Leafs' Matthews out vs. Oilers; Campbell, Muzzin, Thornton return
Toronto Maple Leafs superstar Auston Matthews will not play Saturday against the Edmonton Oilers due to a wrist injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe said, according to Sportsnet's Elliotte Friedman.
Matthews' wrist has bothered him "virtually all season," according to Keefe. The NHL's leading goalscorer appeared to aggravate it on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames when he crashed into the boards.
However, the Leafs will get some reinforcements, as goaltender Jack Campbell, defenseman Jake Muzzin, and forward Joe Thornton will all draw back into the lineup.
Campbell hasn't played since Jan. 24 due to a leg injury. His return comes at a key time as starting netminder Frederik Andersen remains out due to a lower-body injury.
Muzzin has missed the last two games with a face injury. He'll be forced to play with a full face shield. The 32-year-old ranks second among Toronto blue-liners in points and third in average ice time.
Thornton has also missed the last two contests with an undisclosed ailment. He was riding a four-game point streak before going down.
Here's Toronto's projected lineup for Saturday night based on Friday's practice lines:
| LW | C | RW |
|---|---|---|
| Joe Thornton | John Tavares | Mitch Marner |
| Alexander Barabanov | Alexander Kerfoot | William Nylander |
| Ilya Mikheyev | Pierre Engvall | Zach Hyman |
| Nic Petan | Travis Boyd | Jason Spezza |
| LD | RD |
|---|---|
| Morgan Rielly | TJ Brodie |
| Jake Muzzin | Justin Holl |
| Travis Dermott | Zach Bogosian |
The Leafs won their lone game without Matthews this season - a 4-2 victory over the Oilers on Jan. 22.