Leafs Issue a Statement on 3 Injured Players Ahead of the Stanley Cup Playoffs

Taking to the ice before their final regular season game on Thursday night for the typical morning skate, the healthy Leafs were joined by Jake McCabe, David Kampf, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Max Pacioretty and Jani Hakanpaa - all of whom have been dealing with injuries to varying degrees.

McCabe and Kampf were injured in the same game at the start of April, while Ekman-Larsson was injured against the Tampa Bay Lightning on April 9th.

Following a brief practice, a collective sigh of relief passed through Leafs Nation when Craig Berube announced that McCabe, Ekman-Larsson and Kampf should all be ready for Game 1 against the Ottawa Senators on Sunday. Berube also revealed that none of the three will play in the regular season finale Thursday.

While the Leafs can get by without Kampf, adding OEL and McCabe back into the fold gives the team a huge boost on the blueline for obvious reasons. McCabe has formed quite the shutdown pair with Chris Tanev and Ekman-Larsson has been able to provide a stabilizing presence on the third pairing, and at times, further up in the lineup.

With how intense the "Battle of Ontario" is going to be, having the snarl, sandpaper and physicality that both bring to the lineup will go a long way in keeping Brady Tkachuk and others in check when the puck drops on Sunday.