Just as the Toronto Maple Leafs were beginning to string together some positive momentum, the injury bug came back and bit them in a big way.

The team announced that forward Auston Matthews is now also a game-time decision for their game against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday. The news comes after Matthews blocked a shot against the Red Wings that required him to leave the game briefly. He came back and finished the game, almost ending it in overtime before the Wings eventually came away victorious, but the ailment has clearly continued to hamper him.

Nylander has been ruled out of Tuesday’s game, while his status remains day to day.

The Leafs also announced that Dakota Joshua and Chris Tanev won’t suit up against the Devils after suffering upper and lower-body injuries against the Red Wings, respectively. It’s unknown when either of these injuries took place, but Joshua left the game against the Red Wings to deal with his while Tanev played the whole game.

While this organization is typically mum with details surrounding injuries, the severity of all of these will directly shape the confidence level the Leafs have coming into the new year. If it’s just a bunch of day-to-day items that the team is managing so they can get through the last game of the year, that’s one thing, but if these are all ailments that will persist into 2026, the uphill road to clinching a playoff spot will only get steeper with the level of parity in the league.

The Maple Leafs’ game against the Devils will be the last of the calendar year before they open the new year with a date against the Winnipeg Jets at home on New Years Day.

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