Leafs announce a healthy scratch for young defenseman, confirm Klingberg's return tonight

Keefe was very quick to inform the media in attendance after practice on Thursday that Klingberg's absence would be injury-related and not performance-related. However, that now appears to have been confirmed as a clear diversion, as Klingberg will draw back in against the red hot Canucks tonight.

Klingberg was on the ice for four goals against versus the Senators. I can't even imagine what Elias Pettersson, J.T. Miller, Brock Boeser, Quinn Hughes and Andrei Kuzmenko are going to do to Klingberg tonight.

The Canucks lead the league in goal differential with a +33 and are also the league leaders in goals for, having scored 59 times so far this season. For comparison, the Leafs have played an extra game, have scored a LOT this year and still only have 50 goals on the season.

There have been rumblings over the past 14 hours or so that the Leafs may be interested in acquiring Nikita Zadorov from the Calgary Flames after his official trade request. One would have to wonder whether or not tonight's game against Vancouver is a showcase of sorts for Klingberg, who hasn't been good thus far as a Leaf.

In terms of who will come out of the lineup tonight for the Leafs, it will be Simon Benoit taking up a seat in the press box as Klingberg draws back in. Benoit has actually been a pleasant surprise for the Leafs since coming up from the Marlies. For context, the Leafs allowed a combined 10 goals against Ottawa and Calgary over the last 2 games. Benoit is a +2 over the course of those 2 games.