While Auston Matthews, William Nylander, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson continue on their quest for an Olympic gold medal, the rest of the Toronto Maple Leafs returned to practice for the first time since before the start of the Olympic break..

While there isn’t a ton to report on in terms of potential line combinations, given the lack of three of the team’s most crucial players, Morgan Rielly and Dakota Joshua both returned to skating with the main group after entering the break on the injured list.

Rielly suffered what the team called an upper-body injury in the Maple Leafs’ 3-2 shootout win on January 31 and missed the Leafs’ final two games before the break, 4-2 win over the Calgary Flames followed by a 5-2 win over the Edmonton Oilers. The three wins marked a sweep of Western Canada after a six-game losing streak prior to that, five of which came on home ice.

Joshua, meanwhile, has been out since December 28 after suffering a kidney laceration against the Detroit Red Wings. The Maple Leafs traded for the 29-year-old in the offseason with hopes that he could rediscover his form after a career year with the Vancouver Canucks in 2023-24 that saw him score 18 goals and add 32 points in 63 games along with eight points in 13 playoff games. His production dipped tremendously in 2024-25 after he was diagnosed with testicular cancer in the 2024 offseason and struggled to regain his form. He currently has six goals and 10 points in 36 games with the Maple Leafs.

Meanwhile, defenceman Chris Tanev got some work in on his own pad of ice before the main group began practicing. He’s been out since December 27 after suffering a groin injury against the Ottawa Senators. While potentially season-ending surgery has been floated, head coach Craig Berube said in January that Tanev was hoping to forgo it in hopes that he could return and help the Maple Leafs push for the playoffs.

The Maple Leafs will return to action on Wednesday, February 25 when they visit the Tampa Bay Lightning before heading to Sunrise to duel with the Florida Panthers on February 26.

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