Toronto Maple Leafs Injury Report: Week 24

Welcome to another edition of the Toronto Maple Leafs Injury Report. Each week of the season and into the playoffs, I’ll be releasing a new injury report based on the Maple Leafs’ injuries.

After dealing with injuries all season, the last few weeks looked like they were finally back and as healthy as they were ever going to be heading into the playoffs. Unfortunately, during the game against the Florida Panthers on April 2nd, the Maple Leafs lost both Jake McCabe and David Kampf to injuries.

The good thing is, when injuries happen, it gives other players opportunities to step into the lineup and play. Fortunately for Nick Robertson, he was able to draw into the lineup and score two goals, showing that he may deserve a spot in Game 1 of the 2025 NHL Playoffs. As for the loss of McCabe from the lineup, it can’t be replaced. Yes, Philippe Myers was in the lineup, but his impact wasn’t as big as what McCabe can offer.

Now, let’s dive deeper into the Maple Leafs’ injury report.

Maple Leafs’ Injury Report

David Kampf

Firstly, as mentioned before, Kampf left the game against the Panthers with an upper-body injury, which opened the door for Robertson to draw into the lineup and shine. However, the loss of Kampf as the club heads into the playoffs is going to be tough. He plays a very important role within the bottom six and on the penalty kill (PK). Without there being a salary cap in the playoffs, the Maple Leafs can utilize their extra skaters and change them in and out of the lineup. However, Kampf shouldn’t be one of the players coming out of the lineup when he is back healthy.

Since joining the Maple Leafs, Kampf has proven that he can fit the role of a fourth-line center very well, especially on this roster. Kampf has fit nearly perfectly with Steven Lorentz and the rotation of Calle Järnkrok, Pontus Holmberg, or even Ryan Reaves. In the playoffs under head coach Craig Berube, his role will increase the further they go into the playoffs. Berube tends to be a defence-first coach, and Kampf may be the best defensive forward that the Maple Leafs have. So as soon as he is back healthy, he will be back on the fourth line.

Jake McCabe

The Maple Leafs have been a very strong defensive team this season; however, having McCabe out of the lineup is a huge blow. While it is still unclear how he got hurt, he left the game late in the third period and has been ruled out for the next two games. The hope is he can return and be back to full health in time for the playoffs. Since he is the second-best defensive defenseman on the team behind Chris Tanev—his defense partner—his absence creates a big hole. McCabe typically logs north of 20 minutes a night, and with him out, those minutes have to be spread around the lineup.