The Toronto Maple Leafs made a roster move Monday that points in one direction: Bo Groulx is on waivers, and John Tavares is back on the ice.
According to Elliotte Friedman, the 26-year-old Groulx was officially placed on waivers just as Tavares returned to practice. Groulx has appeared in seven games this season and has not recorded a point, leaving him with a thin grip on a spot in the lineup.
His overall NHL production tells the same story. Groulx has 10 points in 85 career games, and the organization appears to view him as, at best, a fringe NHL fourth liner.
At 26, the idea of a major breakout seems remote. There is also no clear sign that another team will claim him, though that possibility remains open for now.
The more significant development for Toronto is Tavares’ return to practice. He had been out for the last two weeks with a lower-body injury and was listed as week-to-week. Whether he will be ready for Tuesday night’s game against the Utah Mammoth is still uncertain, but the timing of Groulx’s waiver placement makes the roster picture pretty easy to read.
The Leafs have managed without Tavares, particularly on offense, but his presence still matters. His leadership in the room is a real factor, and the move on Groulx suggests the club is creating space for a forward to come back.
For the moment, fans will have to wait for confirmation. The expectation is that an official update will come tomorrow before the game, likely from head coach Jim Hiller.
In Other News...
Maple Leafs Make A Risky Lineup Gamble Before A Key Test
With a key test against the Utah Mammoth on deck, Jim Hiller is trying a different look in the Maple Leafs lineup, one that trades some finesse for a little more muscle. Gavin McKenna has been pushed down to the third line, while Dakota Joshua gets a chance in a more prominent role, a tweak aimed at giving Torontos second line more size and physicality as the game stakes rise.
The gamble is obvious for a team trying to find the right balance. Joshua has not played much this season, so there is some uncertainty baked into the move, and McKennas offensive influence figures to be reduced at even strength from a lower line. Even so, he is still expected to keep his power-play duties, which gives Toronto a way to preserve some of his impact while Hiller experiments with the rest of the forward group. [Read more 🡒]
Bobrovsky Has One Trait Leafs Fans Need To See Again
Sergei Bobrovskys early run with the Maple Leafs has been a reminder that goaltending is about more than just the numbers on a stat sheet. Through his first stretch in Toronto, the veteran has had moments where he looks capable of carrying a game, but the steady, dependable edge that teams lean on in tight spots has not shown up often enough for comfort.
What stands out most is the kind of save Toronto has been waiting to see more regularly. The Leafs have long valued a goalie who can steal a shift, settle a shaky sequence and erase a mistake at the exact moment it threatens to swing the game, the way Grant Fuhr built his reputation on timely stops. For a team chasing consistency, that trait matters as much as anything else Bobrovsky brings. [Read more 🡒]
Leafs Turnover Problem Puts Hillers Plan Under The Spotlight
The Maple Leafs are spending part of their pregame conversation on the details around the crease, with Jim Hiller laying out the thinking behind the goaltending plan and the way the club has handled Anthony Stolarz in the lead-up to the rematch against Utah. Hiller also pointed to Sergei Bobrovskys professionalism and routine, underscoring that Torontos scheduling and lineup choices have been handled with an eye toward keeping everyone prepared for the next step.
Beyond the goalie picture, the bigger issue remains the one that has followed the Leafs into this matchup: turnovers. Hiller said the team has to clean that up if it wants a better result, and he also touched on Easton Cowans return to the top line as part of the broader lineup picture. It leaves Toronto with a familiar mix of urgency and uncertainty, with the details of how the night unfolds still to be sorted out. [Read more 🡒]