The Sharks are a couple of points out of a playoff spot, but no, they aren't good now. The Ducks are actually a pretty good team. For the Pacific Division, where you get to play the Canucks a lot. The Kings are hanging on to a playoff spot right now as well. So it makes a good narrative is all the California teams are good now. That's what's driving these stories.

More on the not-good Sharks later on today.

The Leafs made some roster announcements yesterday:

  • Dakota Mermis is on IR after the knee-hit in the last game. He is listed as week-to-week.
  • Henry Thrun has been recalled from the Marlies and is likely to play today.
  • Marshall Rifai is still practicing, but is still on LTIR – he was hurt in training camp.
  • Morgan Rielly missed practice with an illness, and is expected to play today.
  • Chris Tanev was being medically evaluated yesterday – no word on that yet.
  • Brandon Carlo is still listed as week-to-week with no firm updates on his status after some speculative remarks from Berube that he had some kind of setback that might require surgery.

Joe Woll was on the ice prior to practice, but was not a full participant. Anthony Stolarz still has not skated.

The Marlies signed a goalie to a PTO. Brendan Bonello is a former York University goalie who has been both an EBUG and a PTO goalie for the Marlies before. They had already recalled Ken Appleby from the ECHL, so this gives them three goalies right now. Bonello dressed as backup yesterday.

‘He’s got to get involved more’; Slumping Nylander demoted to Leafs’ third line
Leafs winger William Nylander has gone four straight games without a point, and Craig Berube has seen enough. Head coach Craig Berube demoted the team’s leading scorer to the third line at Wednesday’s practice and met with Nylander on Wednesday to convey that message, Mark Masters writes.
TSNMark Masters

Oh no! The coach is picking on Willy. Has Nylander been good lately? No, not really. Has he been up to his standard over the season? No, he hasn't. Both Nylander and Morgan Rielly are doing very well at offence creation (this is not goals and assists) relative to the rest of the team. Relative to their seasons last year? Rielly is better – a very low bar to hop over – and Nylander is dramatically less valuable. This is very hard to see most of the time because he's shooting 20% and scoring way over expected. Don't bet on that continuing.

In the last few games, this dull play has been obvious as the points dried up. Is Nylander the worst on the team defensively? Yeah. Worse than last year? Who isn't? Actually John Tavares is who isn't. But that's the issue. Tavares is just fantastic this year, but Nylander should be better. Noticeably better, the best player on the team if Auston Matthews isn't 100%. And he hasn't been in the last week or so.

You may have noticed the long list of injuries is all defencemen. Offence creation can't wither up and die right now. More than it already has this year.

You can make stories about how it's all the coach's fault if you like, but given what this team needs to do to succeed this year, Nylander needs to be better than just the other underperforming Leafs. He needs to be himself.

What else is going on? Oh you'll see stuff about Calle Järnkrok returning to the SHL. This is said to be a verbal agreement for next season, and his agent has vigorously denied it, which makes me think it's likely true. This is not the first time this story has come up, either.

That's it for now, get ready for the Shark attack later.

From The Branches