The Maple Leafs held a practice at Ford Performance Centre on Tuesday.
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The Leafs are eliminated and playing out the stretch of a lost season, but John Tavares is continuing to produce.
“We’re not going to be in the playoffs, but you want to play your game and keep building and keep getting better and impact the game the way you’re expected to,” the 35-year-old centre said.
Since top-line centre Auston Matthews sustained a season-ending injury on March 12, Tavares leads the Leafs in scoring with eight goals and 16 points in 12 games.
“I appreciate the opportunity and never take it for granted and go out there and enjoy the ability to compete and play in the NHL and obviously play for this club,” said Tavares, who piled up seven points during Toronto’s three-game swing through California last week.
With 30 goals and 68 points in 77 games, Tavares ranks 44th in NHL scoring entering Tuesday’s play. Among those ahead of him on the points board, only 38-year-old Pittsburgh Penguins centre Sidney Crosby is older.
The Leafs are set to miss the playoffs for the first time in the decade, but Tavares continues to do what he does best.
“He started off extremely well this year,” noted coach Craig Berube. “Obviously hit a wall. Everybody hits a wall at some point and at his age that’s going to happen. He really knows how to deal with it. He keeps doing what he does and he knows he’s going to get out of it at some point, which he has now. He’s back to playing at the level he was at the beginning of the year, in my opinion.”
With four goals in the last three games, Tavares has reached the 30-goal mark for the eighth time in his career.
“To be honest, I don’t think he’s really doing anything different than what I’ve seen since I’ve played with him,” said goalie Joseph Woll. “He’s a pretty steady guy … and [that’s] something I try and draw a lot from with just [being] very process-driven. Regardless of what the results are, he comes in and does the same things.”
The season has not gone to plan in Toronto, but Tavares rarely shows any signs of frustration.
“He’s the type of guy that has a love for the game and loves the Leafs and so he works his way out of everything,” Berube said. “He just continues to do his routine day in and day out. Nothing changes. No complaining about this or that. He just comes to work and works his way out of things.”
‘He works his way out of everything’: What does Tavares’ hot finish mean for Leafs next season? John Tavares has started to heat up down the stretch for the Leafs scoring five goals and having three assists in his last five games. He discusses why he values finishing the year strong despite the Leafs missing the playoffs.
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Oliver Ekman-Larsson returned to practice on Tuesday and is eager to get back in the Leafs lineup regardless of the team’s situation in the standings.
“You always want to try and get better,” the 34-year-old defenceman said. “You always try to build even in [this] situation … I don’t think it’s a lot of games that you’re [feeling] 100 per cent from training camp. It’s a privilege to play in the league and you want to get every chance you can to get out there. So, that’s how I look at it.”
Saturday marked the first time Ekman-Larsson missed a game due to injury this season. He got hurt during last Thursday’s game in San Jose.
“Nothing too serious,” he assured “Obviously wasn’t good enough to play last game, but feeling better and able to skate today.”
Ekman-Larsson was spotted shaking his hand with his glove off after leaving the ice on Thursday. The team called it a lower-body injury while Berube referred to it as an upper-body issue.
“Something between upper and lower body,” Ekman-Larsson said with a grin.
Ekman-Larsson was paired with 24-year-old William Villeneuve, who was called up on an emergency basis, at Tuesday’s practice.
“Just put him there because I wasn’t sure if he was going to be available tomorrow,” Berube explained.
The Leafs host the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, which is the start of a busy final stretch of the season. Toronto will play its last five games over an eight-day stretch.
‘Privilege to play’: Banged-up OEL eager to get back in even though Leafs eliminated Oliver Ekman-Larsson discusses what kept him out of the Leafs game against the Kings on Saturday, how he is feeling now, and what keeps him motivated despite the Leafs being eliminated from the playoffs.
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The Leafs called up 22-year-old centre Luke Haymes from the American Hockey League on an emergency basis even though they already had 13 forwards available for practice.
“We’re just dealing with some, not injuries, but stuff where it could keep guys out so it’s nice to have [those] guys up here to get acclimated to things,” Berube said of Haymes and Villeneuve. “If we need them we’ll get them [in].”
Haymes skated as an extra forward at practice.
The coach did not commit to dressing either Villeneuve or Haymes, who have yet to play in the NHL, but acknowledged it could be helpful to their development.
“I always think there’s value in getting young guys a game or two up here,” Berube said. “I don’t think it hurts. It gets them kind of a taste of the NHL. I don’t see it hurting anything.”
Leafs Ice Chips: Will Villeneuve and Haymes make their NHL debuts? The Toronto Maple Leafs called up William Villeneuve and Luke Haymes with five games left in the season, and Craig Berube had Villeneuve playing alongside Oliver Ekman-Larsson at the Leafs practice on Tuesday. TSN’s Mark Masters has more on Berube pairing the two defenceman and what Berube’s plan is for Villeneuve and Haymes.
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Woll allowed a career high seven goals in Saturday’s overtime loss in Los Angeles. He did not meet with the media after the game, but held court with reporters on Tuesday.
“It’s a tough one, because I didn’t really feel like I played bad,” he said. “Some good flash-screen goals, some weird bounces … I probably shouldn’t have passed it to their guy coming out of the box (smile), but just a kind of a flukey thing. It just sucks. It’s not fun giving up seven goals, but I didn’t feel like I played a terrible game or something. So, yeah, kind of flush and move on to the next.”
With the Leafs playing on Wednesday and Thursday, Woll will likely be back in the net soon. Is there value in finishing the year strong?
“I don’t want to give up seven going into the offseason,” he said with a chuckle. “I think there is value. Like, you want to have good momentum going into the offseason.”
The 27-year-old then paused for a moment.
“It’s always going to be some sort of motivation,” he said. “If you have a bad end to the season then you’re motivated to not have that and if you have a good finish then that’s momentum to carry. I’m just going to do what I try to always do and be very process driven and do my best to give our team a chance to win.”
‘I don’t want to give up seven going into the offseason’: Woll grateful Leafs have more games Joseph Woll discusses how difficult it is to play in a high-scoring game as a goaltender, how he processed allowing seven goals to the Kings on Saturday, and what’s the value of a strong finish from his perspective.
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Wednesday may be the final time Alex Ovechkin plays in Toronto. The 40-year-old Capitals captain, who is in the final year of his current contract, has not revealed his plans for next season.
“However he wants to do it, he’s earned that right,” said Tavares. “Not many guys probably can ride off into the sunset quite like he’s going to. Pretty special for him to earn that.”
Ovechkin became the NHL’s all-time leading goal scorer last season. He’s kept on scoring this season, piling up 31 more goals.
Ovechkin has now scored 928 career goals, including three against Woll.
“Unfortunately I don’t have one of those cool Ovi beers because he has scored on me,” Woll said with a grin.
After Ovechkin broke Wayne Gretzky’s record last year, Budweiser sent special cans to all the goalies who faced the Great 8 without allowing a goal.
“I remember the first time I played him I was pretty excited,” Woll said. “Like, the first time he shot on me I was like, ‘Woah, pretty cool.’”
“I just remember playing him for the first couple of times and those first few times you’re really excited and think it’s pretty cool,” Tavares said. “Obviously you’re competing and playing, but the odd time you have to pinch yourself.”
Tavares on Ovechkin keeping future plans quiet: ‘He’s earned that right’ Ahead of the Leafs game against the Capitals on Wednesday, John Tavares praises Alex Ovechkin for how he’s been able to develop his game throughout his career, and if he’s surprised that Ovechkin has kept his future plans quiet.
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Dennis Hildeby had the chance to play Ovechkin for the first time earlier this season.
“Seeing his shot all my childhood, I got to face it in Washington there, which was very special,” the 6-foot-7 Marlies goalie said. “I think he hit the post like three times, but he didn’t score. That was a special experience.”
That start in Washington on Dec. 18 was part of an impressive 19-game run in the NHL at the start of the season for Hildeby.
“He had a lot of success when he was up,” noted Marlies coach John Gruden. “He definitely looked like he belonged so that’s definitely a positive.”
Hildeby posted a .912 save percentage in the NHL, but was sent back to the AHL after Anthony Stolarz returned from a nerve-related injury.
Hildeby has a .900 save percentage in 19 games with the Marlies, which is down from .908 in 30 games last year.
“It’s been a little bit up and down,” the 24-year-old Swede admitted. “Obviously had a long stint up there with the Leafs and really enjoyed that. I think it’s been a good development season. Just working on some stuff and feeling like I’m going in the right direction.”
“It was probably a bit of a letdown to him,” Gruden said of the demotion. “It takes a while.”
Hildeby is focusing a lot on his pace of play.
“Trying to get better at it all year long and still trying to,” he said. “Still some work to be done with just tracking the puck, rotations and everything. It’s small things that put together makes a big difference.”
“One thing I really like about Dennis’ game is his preparation,” Gruden said. “He’s always ready.”
Hildeby, a fourth-round pick by the Leafs in 2022, is being pushed for playing time by Artur Akhtyamov, a fourth-round pick in the 2020 draft.
“It’s a competitive environment, which is great for both of us,” Hildeby said.
Akhtyamov has a .903 save percentage in 36 games and the 24-year-old Russian was also selected to represent the Marlies at the AHL all-star game.
“They see each other as good competition,” Gruden said. “Competition is always a good thing to have in your organization when it’s healthy and those guys do it the right way. They try to make each other better. They support one another. It’s a good problem for us to have.”
‘Competitive environment’ fueling Leafs goalie prospects Hildeby, Akhtyamov Dennis Hildeby describes his season as being “up and down.” The 6-foot-7 goalie started strong in the NHL, despite a rough outing against Connor McDavid’s Oilers, but has struggled to get in a groove with the Marlies. Hildeby is competing for playing time with AHL all-star Artur Akhtyamov.
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When asked why he thinks the Leafs can return to contender status quickly, MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley dropped a surprising name last week.
“We all know — everybody in this room — that we need to acquire more draft choices and prospects,” Pelley told reporters one day after firing general manager Brad Treliving. “But, [there’s reasons for optimism] if you look at the foundational pieces or generational players that we have, and you look at how active we’ve been in potentially signing the most impactful players in the college [pool] with Vinny [Borgesi], who was the captain of the Spengler Cup and the captain of Northeastern and is showing unbelievable skill with the Marlies in such a short period of time.”
The Leafs signed Borgesi, a 5-foot-8 right-shot defenceman, to a two-year contract beginning in the 2026-27 season. He’s currently with the Marlies on an amateur tryout.
What did Borgesi think about Pelley promoting his arrival?
“Just kind of an honour to be mentioned, right,” the 22-year-old from Philadelphia said. “I didn’t really know it went down until I came in the rink the next morning and the guys were like, ‘Oh, you got a shout out!’ And then I kind of looked at it. Pretty cool and super grateful for that.”
Borgesi is determined to reward the faith shown by the organization. He’s long been doubted because of his diminutive size.
“It’s been my whole life,” Borgesi said. “There’s a lot of people out there that never really believed in me and super grateful for this organization to give me a shot.”
Borgesi models his style on Minnesota Wild captain Jared Spurgeon, who has played more than 1,000 NHL games despite standing just 5-foot-9.
“Two-way player, defends really hard, takes a lot of pride in all the areas of the ice and brings some offensive ability too and just takes care of the puck everywhere he goes,” Borgesi observed.
Despite Pelley’s compliment, Borgesi is still facing an uphill journey on the road to the NHL.
What’s the next step?
“Understanding when to live to fight another day,” said Gruden. “You want to make plays, everyone wants to make plays, but unfortunately your job is also to keep the puck out of the net. When he understands that, I think he’s got a lot of upside. He’s competitive for his size. You can see he has that confidence to him that he belongs. It’s going to take some time, but you can see there’s a lot of upside to his game.”
Undersized Leafs prospect Borgesi ‘super grateful’ to get shout out from Pelley Northeastern product Vinny Borgesi was surprised to get a shout out from MLSE president and CEO Keith Pelley during a news conference last week. “An honour to be mentioned,” Borgesi said with a smile. The 5-foot-8 defenceman is eager to reward the Leafs faith despite concerns about his size.
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The Leafs have also added Union College forward Brandon Buhr and St. Thomas right-shot defenceman Hayes Hundley during the NCAA signing season. It’s clear what makes Toronto an attractive landing spot for college free agents.
“We’re pretty spoiled here,” Hundley said. “We get treated unbelievable. We get breakfast and lunch provided every day, which is something I’ve never had.”
“Oh, it’s amazing,” gushed Buhr. “We’re treated like an NHL team full-on. Like, it’s beautiful. Coming here, I was in shock, actually, how well we were treated. It’s great. Just having protein shakes out for us after every skate. We have two sets of equipment, practice equipment and game equipment. Just surreal really.”
And the surreal feeling extends on the ice. Toronto’s player development staff is full of former NHLers.
“Being able to work with guys like Jake Muzzin, Kyle Clifford and [Marlies assistant coach] Mark Giordano, like, just guys who know the game, it’s been huge for development,” Hundley said.
Hundley stayed out late for extra work with Muzzin after a practice this week.
“Just working on going back for pucks, breaking pucks out,” the 20-year-old from Ohio said. “And shooting with my eyes up, so keeping my head up and always constantly surveying and gathering information. It seems like common sense, but when you get into the thick of the game maybe you’re looking down at the puck too much. It’s just little things, but they go a long way.”
‘I was in shock’: From Muzzin’s mentorship to fabulous food, NCAA signees feel ‘spoiled’ by Leafs The Leafs NCAA signees – Union College forward Brandon Buhr, Northeastern defenceman Vinny Borgesi and St. Thomas defenceman Hayes Hundley – are feeling “a little spoiled” and “in shock” with all the resources in Toronto. They are already benefitting from work with player development staff member Jake Muzzin.
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Lines at Tuesday’s practice:
Cowan – Tavares – Nylander
Maccelli – Domi – Knies
Joshua – Groulx – Robertson
Lorentz – Quillan – Jarnkrok
Haymes, Pezzetta
McCabe – Carlo
Rielly – Myers
Benoit – Stecher
Ekman-Larsson – Villeneuve
Stolarz, Woll
Power play units at Tuesday’s practice:
QB: Ekman-Larsson
Flanks: Cowan, Nylander
Middle: Tavares
Net front: Knies
QB: Rielly
Flanks: Domi, Maccelli
Middle: Robertson
Net front: Joshua