From Joseph Woll to Auston Matthews to everyone in between, it’s been an injury plagued start for the Maple Leafs.

Despite that, Craig Berube’s bunch has been able to weather the storm, and almost incredibly, they’re currently leading the Atlantic Division.

Against all odds, they’ve managed to pile up the wins and points, especially in the month of November.

Regardless of who it is, you never want to see anyone get injured. That said, without question, there’s a legitimate silver lining to all this. With the NHL trade deadline now less than 100 days away, the Leafs have had the peculiar opportunity to showcase numerous prospects/pieces that could potentially be utilized in a deal down the road.

Personally, I don’t think it ever hurts for opposing organizations to see what you have under the hood. Almost as a bonus, they’re getting to see these kids/players play at the NHL level. Most teams don’t get this banged up, so more times than not, they’re unable to do this.

Over the first two months of the season, we’ve been lucky enough to see Dennis Hildeby and Nikita Grebenkin make their NHL debuts. On top of that, Fraser Minten, Alex Nylander, and Alex Steeves have seen some time, too. Obviously, I’m not intimating that any of these guys will actually get dealt, but honestly, I don’t think it hurts for teams to get a look at them.

And I’m sure a lot of you reading this are laughing and likely scoffing at the mere idea of me even bringing up the possibility of some of these names being on the move. Well, I’m sorry to break it to you but in order to receive something of substance in this league, you have to be willing to part with capital. If that means a Minten or a Cowan or a Hildeby, then so be it —for the right return, of course. Indisputably, whether you like it or not, some of these names will be discussed in the coming months.

In addition to all this, I think these guys are getting some valuable experience —at the very least. Most importantly, I don’t think the moment has been too big for any of them. Small or large, they’ve been able to make an impact, and considering everyone’s at a different stage of their development, that’s been amazing to see.