Ahead of their trip to Colorado, the Maple Leafs have recalled winger Miles Wood, acquired in the Kirill Marchenko-Matthew Knies trade with Columbus, from the Toronto Marlies.
As we wrote after the shootout loss last night in Vegas, after four games of evaluating Duhaime-Blueger-Groulx, it seems like it’s time to try a new look. The line hasn’t been lit up by any stretch — they haven’t been on for a goal for or against at five-on-five yet — but they’re sitting at a 38% shot attempt share while the high-danger chances are 5-2 for the opposition. It’s not like they’ve not been buried with defensive-zone deployment: 13 of their 17 zone starts have come in the neutral or offensive zones. Duhaime has been moved around and used in defensive spots situationally, but as an overall unit, the Leafs need a little more in terms of generating energy, physicality, and momentum for their other lines throughout games, especially knowing they’re not soaking up much of the defensive burden, either.
Bo Groulx earned an opening-night roster spot (and lineup spot, albeit they started with Zack MacEwen there vs. MTL) with his play last season and through preseason, but it is a bit of an awkward fit on the off-wing of a fourth-line energy role. His best NHL asset is his shot, but he has yet to use it much — two SOG in four games — and it was tough to watch him overhandle it on an opportunity in the third period of a tied game against Vegas. How much game Wood still has left is debatable and remains to be seen, but he should bring more speed, physicality, and a history of playing this kind of role successfully in the league, with nearly 600 games of experience in the NHL as a legitimate bottom-six contributor.
In fact, Wood was once a legitimate top-nine forward in New Jersey — he averaged just under 15 minutes per game in multiple seasons — as he combined elite speed with physicality on the forecheck and decent finishing ability while scoring at a 20-goal pace twice. Injuries have significantly derailed his career, to the point where he became viewed as a salary dump in the Kirill Marchenko trade with Columbus (the 31-year-old is signed at $2.5 million AAV for two more seasons).
| Season | Injury | Time Missed / Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 2021-22 | Hip injury requiring surgery in November 2021 | Missed the first 66 games; played just 3 games all season. |
| 2022-23 | No major extended absence | Played 76 games. |
| 2023-24 | Various shorter absences | Played 74 games. |
| 2024-25 | Recurring back problems and an upper-body injury | Missed 7 games early, then another 27 consecutively; played just 37 games. |
| 2025-26 | Lower-body/leg injury in December-January | Missed 12 consecutive games; played 54 games overall. |
The good news is that even when he was struggling with concerning injury issues like hip surgery and then recurring back problems, Wood has still ranked among the best skaters in the league by the NHL EDGE tracking. If the Leafs choose to dress him against his former team in Colorado, he should be able to help the fourth line’s pace of play against a fast opponent, if nothing else.
The reality is that, coming off an abbreviated preseason, the Leafs’ fourth line performance hasn’t been in a place where they shouldn’t be trying out options and evaluating different fits and mixes. The Leafs may have envisioned Dakota Joshua playing a role here alongside his former Vancouver linemate, Teddy Blueger, but he’s been injured (again) and hasn’t been an option. We’ll see if a line with Wood, Blueger, and Duhaime can provide a bit more of a shot in the arm.
