Maple Leafs get unexpected John Tavares news ahead of crucial Canadiens matchup

John Tavares is back. The Maple Leafs forward returns to the lineup tonight against the Montreal Canadiens at Scotiabank Arena, ending a nine-game absence caused by a lower-body injury he suffered on Oct. 15 against Buffalo.

Toronto could use the lift. The Leafs sit at 8-7-2, have lost three of their last four, and open a stretch of five straight games against teams currently holding a playoff spot.

Head coach Jim Hiller has said the group has struggled with offensive-zone time, puck battles and net-front presence, and those happen to be exactly what Tavares does well.

At Friday's practice, Tavares skated at left wing on a line with Nick Paul at center and William Nylander on the right, so expect him on the wing rather than down the middle for now.

He has played mostly center in Toronto, but he made clear he cares more about being effective than about the position.

Hiller made the return official before puck drop.

He also goes straight back onto the top power-play unit with Auston Matthews, Nylander, Jack Roslovic and Darren Raddysh.

The Leafs' power play entered Friday sixth in the NHL at 28.8 percent, but it has gone 0-for-4 over the last two games, and Hiller wanted his veteran back in that spot.

The move sends rookie Gavin McKenna, Toronto's first overall pick in the 2026 draft, back to the second unit with Morgan Rielly, Oliver Ekman-Larsson, Paul and Easton Cowan.

McKenna has five of his 11 points on the power play through 17 games, and Hiller liked how the puck moved through him in practice.

Tavares has seven points in seven games this season and has missed only 21 of 635 regular-season games since joining Toronto in 2018-19.

Montreal arrives with momentum after an overtime win over Utah, with Nick Suzuki returning with three points.

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