Dewar, Minten, Danford among Toronto Maple Leafs’ injured players heading into training camp
There are a few injuries on the Toronto Maple Leafs front with training camp getting underway.
During the team’s media availability on Wednesday, general manager Brad Treliving stated that forward Connor Dewar “will not be starting [training camp] with us.” The 25-year-old had shoulder surgery during the offseason and is still recovering.
Some #LeafsForever injury news from Brad Treliving:
Connor Dewar: shoulder surgery over summer, “won’t be starting with us”
Fraser Minten: in rookie games got high ankle sprain. Timeline unknown. "Probably weeks"
Ben Sanford: concussion in rookie camp, "progressing quite well"
Forward Fraser Minten is also expected to miss some time. The Vancouver native is suffering from a high-ankle sprain that occurred during their rookie prospect tournament last week. While the timeline for Minten’s return is unknown, Treliving stated that it could be weeks before he rejoins the team.
During rookie camp earlier this month, 2024 first-round pick Ben Danford received an awkward hit from Marshall Finnie, forcing him to leave the practice. Treliving revealed the Oshawa Generals product suffered a concussion but is “progressing quite well.”
Dewar joined the Maple Leafs last season after being traded from the Minnesota Wild right before the trade deadline. He was used in a depth role, scoring a goal and five points in 17 games. He played six of Toronto’s seven playoff games against the Boston Bruins, registering one assist and a minus-1 rating.
Through the 2023-24 campaign, the Manitoba native scored 11 goals and eight assists for 19 points in 74 games.
Minten began last season with the Leafs, playing four games before being returned to the Kamloops Blazers of the Western Hockey League. He was traded to the Saskatoon Blades in late November. In total, Minten scored 22 goals and 26 assists in 43 games. He also played for Team Canada at the 2024 IIHF World Junior Championship, scoring three points in the team’s five games.
Danford, who was taken by the Leafs 31st overall in Las Vegas in June, had an impressive season with the Generals. The defenseman registered a goal and 32 assists in 64 games and was a big part of Oshawa’s run to the OHL Final before losing to the London Knights. He signed his three-year, entry-level contract during the offseason.
The Maple Leafs’ first on-ice session at camp is scheduled for Thursday.