The Leafs play today in Florida and then play every other day for three more games before they get two days off. There are 11 games in total between today and the Christmas break. The bill is coming due on the fairly easy start to the schedule.

Yesterday at practice, the Leafs announced that Brandon Carlo has returned to Toronto to see a specialist for his undisclosed LBI. He hasn't played since November 15, and there was no obvious incident that caused whatever is wrong with him.

So that's an LBIologist? Dunno.

Simon Benoit has returned to the lineup. We should expect what is now the usual faces on defence with two forwards having to sit out as the team currently has 14.

Ice Chips: Leafs’ D Ekman-Larsson on ice at practice
Keep updated on all the injury news and roster updates from around the NHL with daily Ice Chips.
TSNTSN.ca Staff

The arrangement of the defenders may have changed, however:

Maple Leafs Notebook: Stecher’s value skyrockets with Carlo’s injury setback
A seemingly innocuous waiver pickup is proving crucial for the Maple Leafs, who suddenly rely on Troy Stecher for right-side stability. Sportsnet’s Luke Fox looks at the blue line and more in today’s notebook.
Sportsnet.caLuke Fox

The saga of the Olympic hockey arena continues:

Canada’s DeBoer: Olympic ice expected to be smaller than NHL standard
If the situation surrounding the Olympic hockey arena just outside Milan wasn’t already concerning enough, Team Canada assistant coach Pete DeBoer may have thrown some extra flames on the fire Monday afternoon.
Sportsnet.caSportsnet Staff
‘No Plan B’ if Olympic hockey arena is not ready
An official for the 2026 Milan-Cortina Olympics said “there is no Plan B” if the main ice hockey arena, which is still under construction, is not ready for the Winter Games.
ESPNKeith Jenkins

Now, I figure this arena will be "finished" in time, and the women's tournament starts first so they get to discover all the things that don't work. If they actually can't manage it, however, I don't believe for a second that the NHL and NHLPA don't have a Plan B figured out. They would not have agreed to alter their schedule without it because as soon as it became clear this rink was being built by the TTC, they knew they had to be ready for it to never appear.

Okay, now, yes this article is bad, and it's based on a really dumb radio bit, but, you have to read it:

‘In a heartbeat’: Toronto insiders keen on Maple Leafs trading for Darnell Nurse
‘In a heartbeat’: Toronto insiders keen on Maple Leafs trading for Darnell Nurse
Edmonton JournalDavid Staples

This has the most breathtaking chart of ... stats isn't the word. It's not even trivia, it's stuff, numerical stuff of no clear meaning, but culled from laborious video review it is alleged. It has a special made-up rate value of per 15 – just to be different from them nerds and because per game is just too obvious, I guess.

Glorious and amazing and it should be printed off and framed.

All the stuff is totaled up to total stuff too, which makes it totally amazing.

Preview is later today, until then, go look at the chart.

From The Branches