Although the injury to winger James van Riemsdyk is a significant blow to the Maple Leafs’ offense, like all injuries, it opens up opportunities – not just for the player who’ll replace an injured teammate on the roster, but in terms of the domino effect on forward lines and/or defensive pairings. In Toronto’s case, Marlies sniper Josh Leivo was recalled from the American League to fill in for van Riemsdyk, but as the Buds prepared to take on Columbus Wednesday night at Air Canada Centre, head coach Mike Babcock also looked at new lines.
Most notably, forward Shawn Matthias will take van Riemsdyk’s spot on a line alongside centre Tyler Bozak and winger P-A Parenteau.