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Leafs Practice Notes: Multiple NHL Trade Deadline shakeups as team takes to ice in Denver
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Photo credit: Steven Ellis/Daily Faceoff
Dylan Nazareth
Mar 7, 2025, 15:55 ESTUpdated: Mar 7, 2025, 16:07 EST
The Toronto Maple Leafs took to the ice Friday afternoon for practice as the final minutes leading up to this year’s NHL trade deadline ticked down. Trade anxiety was in the air as practice took place at the University of Denver ahead of Saturday night’s matchup against the Colorado Avalanche, continuing a three-game southwest road trip.
Chris Tanev continued to practice with the team Friday as he recovers from an upper-body injury. The veteran defenceman has been sidelined since February 25th when he exited against the Boston Bruins early after taking a rough hit from John Beecher. After the game, Sportsnet’s Luke Fox reported that Tanev left the rink with his right arm in a sling and has since been listed as day-to-day.
Connor Dewar left practice early after allegedly taking a bad high stick, though it inevitably led to some trade speculation as it happened just as the clock reached 3pm.
Minutes later, Conor Timmins was also called off the ice and the flood gates really broke open. In the following hour, it was confirmed both had been dealt to the Pittsburgh Penguins as part of the three-team deal that sent defenceman Brandon Carlo to Toronto from the Bruins.
Ryan Reaves did not practice with the team after being placed on waivers Thursday, then clearing earlier Friday, for the purposes of freeing up cap space ahead of the deadline.
It is not yet confirmed who will get the start in net Saturday night after Joseph Woll was pulled in the first against the Golden Knights on Wednesday after giving up three goals on seven shots, leaving Anthony Stolarz to play the rest of the game. The Leafs have recently been alternating starts, and with back-to-back poor starts from Woll, it does point to Stolarz being the prime candidate.
With multiple new players on their way to Toronto, and some shipping out, it remains to be seen how the team lines up for Saturday night’s contest against the Avalanche. However, head coach Craig Berube said that Carlo and newly-acquired Scott Laughton will for sure be in the lineup if they can get to Colorado in time.
In the meantime, here’s how the Leafs lined up at practice Friday, per David Alter:
Forwards
Matthew Knies – Auston Matthews – Mitch Marner
Pontus Holmberg – John Tavares – William Nylander
Bobby McMann – Max Domi – Nic Robertson
Steven Lorentz – David Kämpf – Calle Järnkrok
Connor Dewar
Defence
Morgan Rielly – Phillipe Myers
Jake McCabe – Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Simon Benoit – Conor Timmins
Chris Tanev
Goalies
Anthony Stolarz
Joseph Woll
Get ready, hockey fans! The Daily Faceoff Deadline is happening on March 7th from 11 AM to 4 PM Eastern, and you won’t want to miss it. We’ll be LIVE, breaking down every trade and big move as it happens, with instant reactions and expert analysis from the Daily Faceoff crew. Plus, we’ve got special guests lined up throughout the show, offering exclusive insights from some of the biggest names in the game. From blockbuster trades to surprise moves, we’re covering it all. Tune in to the Daily Faceoff YouTube channel and follow Daily Faceoff socials on March 7th to catch all the action!