Woll typically starts when he doesn’t attend the morning skate, but he appears to be excused for maintenance. Matthews missed the majority of November with an injury, but has recorded five goals and 11 points in 10 games since returning on November 30 against the Tampa Bay Lightning, with 10 goals and 22 points in 23 games overall. Connor Dewar took Matthews’ place during the morning skate.

“It’s tough. He’s fighting through it, and he’s doing a pretty good job out there on the ice,” Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube said of Matthews via Sportsnet’s Luke Fox after Friday’s morning skate. “He’s producing and playing hard and working, and we just gotta manage it. It’ll get better. We just gotta manage it. And that’s why he’s off the ice today.”

Matthews will take part on the NHL’s most expensive line, alongside William Nylander and Mitch Marner, with an expectation to produce goals at an elite rate for a Maple Leafs team that has struggled to generate offence at 5-on-5, while getting limited secondary scoring.

After missing 20 months of NHL action, Matt Murray is returning to the Toronto Maple Leafs and will make his first start since April 2, 2023.

Murray was officially called up Friday, while the Maple Leafs sent Dennis Hildeby back to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Murray recorded a shutout for the Marlies on Wednesday and appears to be ready for NHL action.

Woll is Toronto’s No. 1 goaltender, with Anthony Stolarz expected to miss 4-6 weeks with a lower-body injury suffered December 12 against the Anaheim Ducks. Stolarz underwent a procedure Wednesday to remove a loose body from his knee, and Murray has been called up to operate as Toronto’s No. 2 goalie in the interim.