Leafs coach Craig Berube drops big Anthony Stolarz, William Nylander injury updates

Anthony Stolarz hasn’t played a game with the Toronto Maple Leafs since suffering an injury during a 5-3 loss to the Boston Bruins on November 11.

Although his absence continues to stretch on much longer than originally anticipated, head coach Craig Berube provided a positive update on the injured netminder ahead of a Hockey Night in Canada clash with the Vancouver Canucks on Saturday night.

“He’s coming along well,” Berube said after the morning skate, per NHL.com. “He’s been skating for a bit now. I think it’s close where he will be with us full-time.”

Stolarz was on the ice prior to the morning skate at Scotiabank Arena and took shots from Toronto’s development staff. Berube said he expects the 31-year-old to accompany the Leafs on their upcoming four-game road trip.

That begins with a visit to Denver to play the National Hockey League-leading Colorado Avalanche on Monday night.

Without Stolarz, the team has been rolling with a Joseph Woll-Dennis Hildeby tandem, which has been much better as of late.

Maple Leafs getting William Nylander back vs. Canucks

Although Stolarz will have to wait a little bit longer before playing his first game of 2026, a couple other players could return to the lineup on Saturday.

The most notable is William Nylander, who will play; he missed six games after suffering a lower-body injury during a 7-5 win over the Ottawa Senators at the end of December.

Despite his absence, the Swedish star leads Toronto with 41 points through 33 games. He was skating on a line with Matias Maccelli and John Tavares at the morning skate.

“He’s obviously a great player, skill, speed,” Berube said, per NHL.com. “He adds offense and he adds in a lot of areas. It’s great to have him back.”

Along with Nylander, defenseman Jake McCabe could be on the verge of a return after being a full participant in the morning skate. After missing two contests with a lower-body injury, he’s set to be a game-time decision on Saturday night.

The reinforcements are coming for the Maple Leafs, who have won six of their last eight games — and picked up a point in all eight of them. As the surge continues, Toronto has reduced the magic number for an East wildcard berth to just two points.

They’ll look to continue making up ground in a crowded conference when puck drops on Leafs-Canucks just past 7:00 p.m. ET in downtown Toronto.

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