Reports Surface of a Nasty Illness Spreading Through the Maple Leafs Locker Room

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Graham Montgomery
October 16, 2024 (8:16)

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Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube revealed today that the team is dealing with an illness that may impact player availability for the next few days.

Through three games to Leafs look just as strong as they were last year if not stronger. After dropping the season opener, the Leafs rallied back for a decisive win over the New Jersey Devils and followed that up with another solid victory over the Pittsburgh Penguins. With that being said, the team still has things to work on. Special teams have been an issue for the team, especially the powerplay which is 0 for 9 to start the year. This even sparked Craig Berube to switch up the powerplay units in their last game but to no avail. Now things could be even worse for the man advantage as William Nylander could miss tonights game against the LA Kings according to Berube's report.

Apparently, an illness has infected the Leafs locker room and Nylander seems to be the one most affected by it. However, Berube did seem to imply that other players are dealing with symptoms as well, but he was not very specific as to who was dealing with it. This could mean that other start players like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner are also currently playing at less than 100%. One player that he did name drop was John Tavares, but it sounds like he is on the mend and should be healthier for tomorrow's game than he was for the last one.

"We've had more guys [sick] too, but they were able to keep going. We've got to watch for it. But it was great to see [Tavares] out there today and he got through practice. It looked like he was low-energy, but he's a good pro, got out, had a sweat and I'm sure he'll feel better later."

Like the Leafs, the Kings have played three games so far. Unlike Toronto however, they have not yet lost a game in regulation, putting up 4 points with a 1-0-2 record. They could be a formidable opponent, especially if Toronto's top players are not feeling at their best. Luckily for the Leafs though, they will be at home for the contest, which could be a big advantage in this one.

Be sure to pay attention to the Leafs morning skate as we could get updates on player availability for the game, especially regarding William Nylander.