Toronto Maple Leafs fans received positive news on Wednesday as goaltender Joseph Woll nears his return, and forward Scott Laughton is set to rejoin the lineup.
Woll has been away from the team since late September, dealing with a personal matter, and was placed on long-term injured reserve. While General Manager Brad Treliving and Head Coach Craig Berube have respected Woll's privacy by not disclosing the specifics, they have offered encouraging updates on his progress.
"It's getting close," Berube told reporters on Wednesday regarding Woll's return. "I don't want to give you a timeline and then it's changed, but I can just say this — he's in a real good spot. It's great to have him out with us in practice and stuff. He's doing well".
The 27-year-old netminder participated in formal team practice on Monday for the first time since his leave. Although Woll has been skating on his own, he is expected to undergo a conditioning stint with the AHL's Toronto Marlies before being back to the Leafs lineup. In Woll's absence, Anthony Stolarz and Cayden Primeau have been handling the goaltending duties.
Meanwhile, forward Scott Laughton is poised to return to the ice after being sidelined since the preseason with a lower-body injury. Laughton hasn't played this season, after suffering the injury on October 2 against the Detroit Red Wings.
"I'm gonna have that nervous energy. And I think it's a good thing," Laughton said ahead of Wednesday's game against the Utah Mammoth. To activate Laughton, the Maple Leafs needed to clear a roster spot, potentially by placing Steven Lorentz on injured reserve retroactive to October 29 or sending down a rookie.
The return of Laughton provides a boost to the Maple Leafs' forward depth. Before his injury, Laughton and Steven Lorentz showed promise as a potentially effective forward pair in the preseason.
With Laughton back in the lineup and Woll's return on the horizon, the Maple Leafs are gradually getting healthier. The team has missed Nylander, a 45-goal scorer last season. William Nylander recently returned to the lineup after missing three of four games with a lower-body injury. Nylander said he felt good to go for Monday's game against the Pittsburgh Penguins. After scoring his first NHL goal, Easton Cowan was promoted to the Leafs' top power-play unit. Defenceman Chris Tanev is back home in Toronto and doing fine following a collision against the Flyers, but has been placed on injured reserve.
