The Toronto Maple Leafs turned to Miles Wood on Friday, recalling the newly acquired forward from the Toronto Marlies as they look for a little more pace and punch in the bottom six.
The move comes after Toronto’s 4-3 shootout loss to the Vegas Golden Knights, with the club set to face Colorado on Saturday. For now, there’s no indication whether Wood will draw into the lineup or simply serve as a depth option while the team sorts through its injury situation, especially the uncertainty around Oliver Ekman-Larsson.
Wood only recently joined the organization as part of the Kirill Marchenko blockbuster that sent Matthew Knies to the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 31-year-old forward put up 14 points in 54 games for Columbus last season and has built a career line of 99 goals and 196 points in 567 games with the Devils, Avalanche, and Blue Jackets.
Where he fits is still up in the air, but Wood could push for a look over Bo Groulx, who has been quiet to start the season and hasn’t delivered the scoring touch Toronto expected when it moved on from Zack MacEwen.
What Wood does bring is easy to see: speed, hard forechecking, and a track record as a dependable scorer. He hasn’t been a star, but he has been productive enough over the years, and he sits one goal shy of 100 for his NHL career. From 2018 to 2021, he also had a run where he averaged more than 14 goals per season.
If Wood gets the call against Colorado, there’s another wrinkle. He’d be facing the team that traded him away last summer, which could give him a little extra edge on Saturday. Hungry to get back into an NHL lineup, he may not need much more motivation than that.
For the Maple Leafs, the timing makes sense. The bottom six needs a jolt, and Toronto is clearly hoping Wood can provide it.
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