It’s bound to be an emotional night for John Tavares, and his return and the crowd reception will naturally be the focus of the game (the buildup has been ridiculous, and there is going to be a tribute during the game). Toronto would love to be rested and at full strength for this, but Jake Gardiner’s shut down for a lingering back issue and Travis Dermott’s shoulder injury suffered last night will keep them both out for the near future, and the Leafs played yesterday while Islanders didn’t.
Calle Rosen — the Marlies‘ scoring leader among defensemen with 44 points in 57 games — would have likely gotten a well-earned call-up for this one, but he’s also injured — so too is Andreas Borgman.