How Maple Leafs Injury Updates On Kirill Marchenko, Chris Tanev, Dakota Joshua And Others Affect Gameplan Against Kraken

The Toronto Maple Leafs have several players out of the lineup and working their way back to game fitness. The latest to go down was right winger Kirill Marchenko, who suffered a lower-body injury in the Leafs' last game against the Calgary Flames on Monday.

The team provided updates on Marchenko's injury and many others, too. The Russian has been labelled week-to-week with his lower-body injury and has travelled back home.

With another important top-six forward out, head coach Jim Hiller has shuffled the lines slightly.

Rookie Gavin McKenna is getting an opportunity in the Maple Leafs' top line on the left wing next to Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic. Easton Cowan moves to the second line, accompanying Nick Paul and William Nylander.

"I mean, that's something we've talked about a lot at different times, we always are talking about different things in the lineup," Hiller said after morning skate, explaining his decision on the line changes. "That line had played so well with Easton, but with (Marchenko) out, give Gavin a chance there, and move Easton with Willy and Paul."

Bo Groulx, who hasn't played since Oct. 16, has been slotted on the left wing of the third line next to Colton Sissons and Vinni Lettieri. The fourth line has remained with Brandon Duhaime, Teddy Blueger and Zack MacEwen sticking together.

Hiller noted that with all the bodies going down, the Blueger line will see more ice, and has been impressing him with their performances in the last few games.

"I think we've got such great minutes from our, you want to call them our fourth line, from Teddy Bluger's line," Hiller said. "I think over the last 10 days, that line getting more minutes, more minutes. I've had him out there against the other team's top lines. So despite everybody having to step up in this absence, I think you're going to see that line, as long as they continue to play like this, take on a bigger and bigger role, a role maybe that we didn't expect two weeks ago."

Defenseman Chris Tanev has been out of the lineup since Oct. 10 with an upper-body injury. Today at morning skate in preparation for the Seattle Kraken, Tanev was upgraded from the red non-contact sweater to a regular practice sweater and is now considered day-to-day.

Hiller was asked how soon Tanev could be returning to action, specifically for Toronto's game on Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks.

"I think there's always a chance, but we'll have to wait and see for that," he said.

The 36-year-old blueliner has played six games this season, recording an assist and averaging 16:51 of ice time per game (hindered by 3:29 of ice time in his last game against the Colorado Avalanche when he got hurt).

He skated with Cole McWard as the two extra defensemen outside of the three pairs.

Dakota Joshua is also fairly close to returning after missing the start of the season with the Leafs. He has completed his conditioning stint with the Toronto Marlies in the AHL, playing four games and not registering a point, and has now been recalled to the Maple Leafs. He was recovering from a core injury.

Hiller said that Joshua is still awaiting his gear from the airline. But aside from that, "Yeah, he's had a stint. He's in great shape. He's ready to roll," the coach said.

With the possibility of making his season debut for Toronto against Seattle, or even Vancouver, it will be Joshua's first NHL game since April 8 of last season.

In addition to all those updates, center John Tavares is still listed as week-to-week with a lower-body injury, as is defenseman Marshall Rifai. D-man Nick Blankenburg is also out on a week-to-week basis with an upper-body injury.

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