Maple Leafs Debut Blankenburg in Denver With 11 Forwards

Toronto will test a revised lineup against Colorado in Denver on Saturday night, with defenseman Nick Blankenburg set to make his Maple Leafs debut and John Tavares unavailable following the birth of his son. Head coach Jim Hiller plans to deploy 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the 7 p.m. EST game, which will air on Sportsnet, according to Maple Leafs Hot Stove.

Blankenburg's arrival in the lineup gives Toronto another defensive option as Hiller continues to experiment with player combinations early in the season. The coach also left the starting goaltender unconfirmed, with Anthony Stolarz and Sergei Bobrovsky listed as the available options in the projected lineup.

Hiller said Blankenburg had remained patient while waiting for his opportunity after a strong preseason. The defenseman previously played for Colorado, making Saturday's matchup against his former team an additional milestone in his Toronto tenure.

Hiller explained that the decision to use seven defensemen would allow him to adjust playing time based on performance during the game. The arrangement could also create opportunities for forwards who have received fewer minutes, although the coach acknowledged that distributing ice time among seven defensemen can make it harder for players to establish a rhythm.

Colorado head coach Jared Bednar identified Toronto's roster changes and renewed energy as notable features of the team's early-season performances. He pointed to the Maple Leafs' pace, effort and ability to create plays while acknowledging that the reconfigured group still needed time to develop cohesion.

Bednar also discussed the decision to rearrange his own top-six forwards. Nazem Kadri had been promoted during a game against Winnipeg after becoming involved in nearly 50% of Colorado's scoring chances that night, according to the coach. Bednar retained the change against Calgary before deciding to restore his previous combinations.

The Colorado coach said Martin Necas would return alongside Nathan MacKinnon and Artturi Lehkonen, while Kadri would move to the line centered by Brock Nelson. Bednar said he wanted to reunite the trio of MacKinnon, Necas and Lehkonen because they had started the season strongly.

Bednar also offered a cautious assessment of Toronto prospect Gavin McKenna, saying he had not watched enough of the player to evaluate him extensively. He described McKenna as talented, comfortable with the puck and off to a promising start.

Toronto's projected forward lines place Kirill Marchenko, Auston Matthews and Jack Roslovic together on the first line. Easton Cowan, Nick Paul and William Nylander are projected for the second line, while Gavin McKenna, Colton Sissons and Bo Groulx form the third. Brandon Duhaime and Teddy Blueger occupy the projected fourth line, with the final position unfilled.

The projected defensive pairs are Jake McCabe with Darren Raddysh, Morgan Rielly with Chris Tanev, and Oliver Ekman-Larsson with Troy Stecher. Blankenburg is listed as the seventh defenseman. Toronto remains without Dakota Joshua, who is week-to-week with an injury, and Max Domi, who is listed with a long-term injury.

Hiller said the 11-forward setup would let him rotate players and provide additional opportunities to those who perform well. The coach acknowledged that the approach can spread defensive minutes too widely, leaving its effectiveness to be determined during the matchup in Denver.