The Toronto Maple Leafs could do nothing to stop the Washington Capitals on Wednesday, losing 4-0 and dropping to a 32-32-14 record on the season.
And just when the Leafs started to look healthy—albeit too late within the context of the season—injuries seem to be piling up all at once.
Toronto lost multiple players in Wednesday's loss, with three men unable to finish the game and each of them part of a different unit, from goalies, to defensemen and forwards.
Alongside forward Dakota Joshua and starting netminder Anthony Stolarz was defenseman Brandon Carlo, who did not return for the third period.
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Leafs head coach Craig Berube discussed Carlo's status after the game, and confirmed that Carlo had already been ruled out for Thursday’s matchup against the New York Islanders.
“(Goalie Artur Akhtyamov) is coming up. (forward Luke) Haymes is coming up, and (defenseman William) Villeneuve is coming up as of right now,” Berube said.
Carlo’s injury adds to a season already disrupted by absences earlier in the campaign. The veteran defenseman missed 23 games after undergoing foot surgery in December. He has appeared in 55 games, scoring seven points, all of them assists.
With limited time remaining in the schedule, the Maple Leafs will turnt to younger players to fill the gaps, see what they have in the pipeline and avoid long-term setbacks.
“I like to see these guys. There is an opportunity to get them in,” Berube said.
That includes Villeneuve, who is set to make his NHL debut after being recalled from the Toronto Marlies. Villeneuve has scored three goals and 29 points in the AHL this season.
Toronto has four games left, starting with Thursday's matchup against the Islanders at 6:45 p.m. ET.
