Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube announced ahead of Tuesday’s game against the Ottawa Senators that forward Connor Dewar will be making his season debut.
Berube says Nylander and Domi are good to go tonight
Dewar makes his Leafs season debut @TSN_Edge
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 12, 2024
Dewar, 25, was acquired from the Minnesota Wild in the dying seconds of the 2023-24 trade deadline in exchange for prospect Dmitry Ovchinnikov and a fourth-round pick in 2025. He finished the season with five points in 17 games as a Leaf, adding one assist in six playoff games. It was announced following the season that he would undergo shoulder surgery, and while he was initially expected to be ready for training camp, his recovery was extended by a month into the season.
Following a stint on the injured reserve (IR) and a brief conditioning stint with the Toronto Marlies, where he scored a goal and added an assist in his only game, he was activated and recalled to the Maple Leafs.
Meeting with reporters following the team’s morning skate, Berube was asked what he was looking for in Dewar’s game in his debut, and he responded with a simple message — simplicity.
“It’s been a while, but he’s practicing, so he’s familiar with everything,” Berube said. “Timing, NHL speed and game, just simplify and play your game. He’s a high-energy guy, he’s physical, grinding it out, checking, all those types of things. But I think, first game back, it’s been a long time for him in terms of getting up to speed.”
Dewar’s return to the lineup comes in the wake of Max Pacioretty’s injury against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night. While several weeks isn’t a timeline he’s likely happy with, general manager Brad Treliving said that it wasn’t as bad as originally thought.
Leafs GM Brad Treliving says news on Max Pacioretty’s lower-body injury is actually better than what they expected on Saturday night
“It’s going to be some time, but hopefully we can get him back in the not too distant future”
He will miss “several weeks”@TSN_Edge
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 11, 2024
Tuesday morning’s skate was optional, so it’s unclear where he’ll slot in the lineup, but with Max Domi and William Nylander also both expected to play after taking a maintenance day yesterday, it seems like a sure bet that he’ll be in the bottom-six. That’s traditionally where he’s thrived to begin with, and he has Berube’s belief, provided he doesn’t get caught up in trying to do too much.
“It’s a fast game out there, he’s gotta make sure he’s playing simple and smart.”
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