Matthew Knies joins Auston Matthews (lower body) as a key offensive piece returning to the lineup on Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Maple Leafs have lost seven of their last eight (1-4-3) and will be eager to re-insert Knies into their lineup. The 23-year-old Knies had a breakthrough 2024-25 season and is already on pace to crush his career-bests, with 22 points (5G / 17A) in 19 games this season.

Dowd has missed four straight games due to an undisclosed injury, but could return on Wednesday against the Winnipeg Jets. The 35-year-old Dowd is averaging 15:08 time-on-ice and has five points (1G / 4A) in 19 games this season.

Rust did not practice on Monday or Tuesday due to an illness, be will be ready to suit up when the Penguins return to action on Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres. The 33-year-old Rust is averaging a career-high 20:09 time-on-ice and has 15 points (5G / 10A) in 19 games this season.

Holmberg (undisclosed) has not played since November 8th, but he will return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Calgary Flames. The 26-year-old Holmberg has five points (1G / 4A) in 15 games this season. Jack Finley will be a healthy scratch to accommodate Holmberg's return.

Werenski did not play in the third period of Monday's 5-1 loss to the Washington Capitals, exiting the game after 17:36 time-on-ice due to an upper-body injury. The 28-year-old Werenski played in all but one game last season, but has battled injury concerns in recent years. That said, the team seems to have avoided a serious injury and are in the clear with their star blueliner, who has 21 points (7G / 14A) in 23 games this season.

Toffoli could be at risk of missing his first game of the season on Wednesday as he is battling an illness. The 33-year-old Toffoli snapped a five game pointless skid in his most recent game, tallying an assist. He has 12 points (5G / 7A) in 23 games this season.

Roy has not played since suffering an upper-body injury on November 15th, but he has returned to practice and could return to the lineup as early as Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 28-year-old bottom-six forward has four points (1G / 3A) through 19 games in his first season with the Maple Leafs.

Matthew Knies joins Auston Matthews (lower body) as a key offensive piece that could potentially return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The Maple Leafs have lost seven of their last eight (1-4-3) and would love to re-insert Knies into their lineup. The 23-year-old Knies had a breakthrough 2024-25 season and is already on pace to crush his career-bests, with 22 points (5G / 17A) in 19 games this season.

Matthews has not played since suffering a lower-body injury from a Nikita Zadorov hit two weeks ago, but has been practicing for a week and could return to the lineup on Wednesday against the Columbus Blue Jackets. The 28-year-old Matthews has not been as dynamic as in previous seasons, but his goal-scoring prowess has been greatly missed by a Maple Leafs team that has lost seven of its last eight games (1-4-3). Matthews has 14 points (9G / 5A) through 17 games.

Jarry was off to a solid start to the season before suffering a lower-body injury on November 3rd, posting a 2.60 GAA and .911 SV% in seven games (5-2-0), marking his best start to a season in several years. The Penguins received serviceable goaltending from Arturs Silovs and Sergei Murashov, so it's unclear what Jarry's workload will be like when he returns to the lineup.

Rust did not practice on Monday or Tuesday due to an illness, be he should be ready to suit up when the Penguins return to action on Wednesday against the Buffalo Sabres. The 33-year-old Rust is averaging a career-high 20:09 time-on-ice and has 15 points (5G / 10A) in 19 games this season.

Kiviranta has not played since October 16th, recovering from a lower-body injury, but is officially ready to return to the lineup after practicing on Wednesday. The 29-year-old Kiviranta had a career-high 23 points (16G / 7A) in 79 games last season.

Dadonov has been plagued by injuries this season, suffering a hand injury in the first game that kept him sidelined for nearly six weeks, and now he is battling an undisclosed injury that will likely keep him out of the lineup on Wednesday. His inability to stay in the lineup has hampered cohesion with his new team, and he has yet to score a point through five games this season.

Hinostroza did not play in Minnesota's most recent game and will be out of the lineup for at least the next four weeks, recovering from a lower-body injury. The 31-year-old Hinostroza has five points (2G / 3A) in 22 games this season.

Pionk exited Winnipeg's most recent game in the first period due to a lower-body injury, but is considered day-to-day and could return to the lineup on their upcoming five-game road trip. The 30-year-old Pionk has been relied upon heavily this season, averaging 22:44 time-on-ice and recording five points (1G / 4A), 36 blocks, and 42 hits in 21 games.

Miller missed some time earlier this season due to an injury and was banged up in Carolina's previous game, but he is expected to play on Wednesday. The 25-year-old Miller is averaging a career-high 22:52 time-on-ice and has 10 points (2G / 8A) in 16 games this season.

Kochetkov missed the opening month of the season due to a lower-body injury that he has seemingly re-aggravated. It's unclear whether the injury will keep him out of this lineup, but it is a concerning development after he was unable to practice on Tuesday. The 26-year-old Kochetkov has been outstanding between the pipes since making his season debut earlier this month for the Hurricanes, posting a 1.70 GAA and .926 SV% in five appearances (4-0-0). If Kochetkov misses any time, expect Brandon Bussi and Frederik Andersen to share the crease for the Hurricanes.

Staal did not play in Carolina's most recent game, but will likely return to the lineup on Wednesday. The 37-year-old Staal is coming off his best outing of the season, a two-goal performance in a 4-3 win over the Winnipeg Jets. Staal is averaging 15:17 time-on-ice and has nine points (7G / 2A) in 21 games this season.