Toronto Maple Leafs forwards John Tavares and Matthew Knies were on the ice for the team’s practice in Edmonton on Friday.

This is a strong indication that both could be ready to return to the lineup on Saturday against the Oilers, which could not come at a better time. With the team struggling to generate offence and mired in a skid with six losses in their last nine games, getting Tavares and Knies back will be a huge boost.

They were seen on the ice during the morning skate on Wednesday which was part of the recovery process. Tavares being back at practice lines up with head coach Craig Berube’s projection of returning to the main session later in the week while TSN’s Darren Dreger reported that day the team expected Knies to be back when they began the road trip.

As a result of their impending returns, the Leafs assigned forward Jacob Quillan down to the Toronto Marlies on Friday to clear the space needed to reinsert them into the fold.

Fraser Minten, Nikita Grebenkin, and Matt Murray are with the team on the road trip but did not participate in practice with the main group and instead skated on their own afterwards.  What makes that last name significant is that it signals goalie Anthony Stolarz could be nearing his long-awaited return to the lineup, though it is unclear when his first start will be.

He has been practicing more frequently with the team this week which included his first full session since his injury on December 12. Stolarz is feeling good but wants to back into a game soon so he can work up his conditioning to where he was prior to his ailment.

“Kind of sucks, obviously, not playing. And we were playing pretty well when I went down. So, just to be able to get back out there, be able to practise with the guys again, be around the group, it’s been a lot of fun so far,” he said to reporters on Tuesday. “There’s no cardio like playing hockey in a real, 60-minute game — especially as a goalie. So, I feel good, and it’s just about getting that cardio back.”

Expect Joseph Woll to get the nod on Saturday as a result, but Stolarz’s first start since getting hurt could be as early as Tuesday night when the Leafs take on the Calgary Flames.

Jani Hakanpaa was not currently with the team for their road trip but is continuing to skate back in Toronto.  This comes with four games remaining before the 4 Nations Face-Off where the towering blueliner was named to the roster and was given a number earlier on Friday.

Hakanpaa has said the opportunity to represent his country is fueling his recovery efforts. It would be the first time he got to play for Finland since 2019 when he helped them capture gold at the IIHF World Hockey Championship.

“It’s a really nice thing to work toward. You have that little special thing there, you try to work your way to,” Hakanpaa said on January 18th. “It gives that little extra boost every day knowing that’s just around the corner. Hopefully, I can get there in time and help Team Finland create some good memories again.”

The fact it is this close to the start of the tournament and his availability to play for the Leafs is uncertain leaves one to wonder if he actually will be appearing in the 4 Nations. Keep in mind that teams have until the day before the tournament begins on February 12th to make any changes so this decision could end up going down to the wire.

Here is how the lines looked at practice courtesy of The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel:

Minus Hakanpaa and Calle Jarnkrok, this is about as close to a fully healthy lineup as the Leafs have had all season in terms of regulars. This will come in handy for Brad Treliving and upper management so that they have a proper chance for however long this lasts to get an assessment of where the team is at and better identify exactly what type of players they will need.

Of note, the Leafs once again loaded up their top power-play unit while the overall setup for both are similar. Much has been maligned about their man advantage unit and getting it rolling will be critical to getting the team in a good position to go on a deep run, but what hasn’t helped their efforts is the revolving door of injuries they have had to deal with this season. We shall see if having everyone back together gets things rolling or if the struggles continue to bite them in the butt.

Reaves is projected to be healthy scratched for Saturday, which is an interesting development considering that he was at the centre of a dangerous hit to the head of defenceman Darnell Nurse that resulted in the enforcer getting a five-game suspension. That means there likely won’t be any fireworks like many were expecting, though you never know.