Bobby McMann sustained a lower-body injury but it appears as though he's on the mend and could make his way back sooner rather than later. Injuries continue to test the Toronto Maple Leafs' depth, but the team has stayed afloat in the Atlantic Division. Ahead of their matchup against the Anaheim Ducks [https://thehockeynews.com/nhl/anaheim-ducks/] on Thursday, the club held a morning skate where personnel proceeded to evaluate two forwards' timelines for return. Bobby McMann (lower body) is inching closer to game action, while David Kampf (lower body) remains further from rejoining the lineup. Both were skating as extras with Nikita Grebenkin and Nick Robertson at the morning skate on Thursday. After the skate, head coach Craig Berube provided updates on both players. “Kampf is probably a little bit a ways away yet, but Bob McMann is very close,” said Berube. BOBBY MCMANN RETURNING SOON The prognosis for McMann is optimistic. After suffering a lower-body injury during the Maple Leafs’ 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers on November 27, the 28-year-old winger has missed six games. McMann resumed skating on December 6 and joined the team for practice again on Thursday. While he won’t play against the Ducks, there’s hope he could return at some point this weekend during the club’s back-to-back against the Red Wings and Sabres. “(McMann) practiced today, he'll skate with us tomorrow, and then we'll see,” said Berube after the skate. The forward has been a bright spot this season with six goals and seven points in 21 games throughout his second full campaign with the Leafs. His return would provide a boost to the Leafs’ secondary scoring and depth up front as they navigate a busy December schedule. KAMPF NOT CLOSE TO RETURNING Kampf, sidelined with a lower-body injury, was placed on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) in late November, ensuring he would miss a minimum of 10 games and 24 days. This designation allowed the Leafs to create cap and roster flexibility, enabling the recall of Nikita Grebenkin and accommodating his $875,000 cap hit. However, it left the team without their fourth-line center and one of their best penalty-killers. The 29-year-old has been absent for the last nine games and isn’t eligible to return until December 14 (Saturday against Detroit) at the earliest. The team has missed his defensive reliability and steady presence on the penalty kill. His absence has also hindered the Leafs’ depth at the center position in its entirety, as he’s been one of the many dominos on offense to go down with an injury this season. It seems that he is not close to returning. Kampf has three assists in 18 games for the club this season. He’s playing in his fourth year with the organization. The Maple Leafs also received positive news on the blue line as Jake McCabe is set to return against the Ducks. The 30-year-old defenseman missed the past five games after taking a puck to the side of his head on November 30 in Tampa Bay. “He's a big part of our team back there. With him and Tanny (Tanev), shutdown, penalty killing, physical play, and defending. So he's a big part of our team. It would be great to have him back,” said Berube.
