January got away from me. There’s a good reason for that, though! I’ve finally gotten full-time work and this past month was sorting out all the paperwork and forms. More on that to come later!
This week marks the beginning of the 2026 Olympic Games. For the NHL, this means the season’s condensed schedule gets a big sigh of relief (not to mention that crisp Italian air I have yet to experience… does the Rome airport count?)
The Leafs take on Zayne Parekh and the Flames in Calgary tonight in the first game of a back-to-back through Alberta. Tomorrow’s game against Connor McDavid and the Edmonton Oilers marks the end of their pre-Olympic schedule.
Auston Matthews will suit up for the USA, and both William Nylander and Oliver Ekman-Larsson will feature on Sweden’s lineup.
With this being the first time since 2014 that NHLers are in the Olympics, I would have liked to see more Leafs represent their national teams. But let’s call it a gift that only three will see Olympic hockey action.
Toronto’s next NHL game comes February 25th, in Tampa Bay against a rival Lightning team that currently paces the Atlantic division with 74 points through 53 games.
Through their first 55 gaes, the Leafs sit fourth-last in the Eastern Conference with 59 points. There have been injuries up and down this lineup and the break should allow at least some Leafs to get healthy in time for the 25th.
Tampa bay is currently slated to send 10 (TEN) players to the Olympics. Brayden Point may be replaced for Canada if he is not ready to play. Also from the Lightning, Anthony Cirelli might not be healthy for the Games after getting injured at the Stadium Series game vs. the Florida Panthers Sunday.
At least for the game on the 25th, this should mean that Toronto will be better-rested than their hosts. SHOULD being the key word here.
Tamp Bay could have sent at least 11 or 12 if Russian players were allowed to send a team to Milan - Nikita Kucherov and Andre Vasilevskiy. That’s a separate conversation.
The Minnesota Wild are sending nine players to Milan. The Colorado Avalanche and Florida Panthers will send eight each.
Back to the Leafs.
At various points of the season, too many of Toronto’s players have missed games. There’s a larger conversation to be had for sure, as Rogers and MLSE decided last summer to eliminate an organizational position that kept players healthy through sport science. I won’t get started on that rant here either, though.
“Malpractice” doesn’t seem like strong enough a word, quite honestly.
Perhaps the most damning example is William Nylander. Through the last four full NHL regular seasons, Nylander missed all of ONE game (in 2021-22). He had a three-year regular-season Iron Man streak before this season.
Maybe the two are not related. That seems highly unlikely. More likely, the Leafs have suffered so many injuries this season (at highly inconvenient times, mind you) because they no longer benefit from that emloyee’s exxpertise.
Morgan Rielly is the latest to fall to the injury bug needlessly plaguing this team. Head coach Craig Berube said he’ll be out until after the Olympics. On an already-thin blue line, that’s not the news any Leafs fan wants to hear.
Here’s hoping the Olympic break can heal injuries and ailments on this team that they can no longer turn to an expert for…
