Maple Leafs Make Surprising Lineup Changes Ahead of Coyotes Game

The Toronto Maple Leafs are gearing up to host the Arizona Coyotes on Thursday night at Scotiabank Arena and will be doing so with a new-look lineup. Head coach Sheldon Keefe has decided to change up his lines and kept a couple of surprising names out of Thursday's group:

#Leafs lines during morning skate Mar. 10/22

Bunting-Matthews-Marner
Robertson-Tavares-Kase
Simmonds-Kerfoot-Nylander
Mikheyev-Kampf-Engvall

Rielly-Liljegren
Brodie-Holl
Dermott-Lyubushkin

Extra: Sandin, Spezza, Clifford

Mrazek (starter)
Kallgren
— David Alter (@dalter) March 10, 2022

With Jack Campbell out for a couple weeks with a rib injury, the crease is now Petr Mrazek's to take over. Erik Kallgren was recalled and will likely not see any game action during his emergency assignment. As for the surprises, Jason Spezza and Rasmus Sandin remain out of the lineup and both are apparently healthy enough to play. Spezza has recorded 20 points in 52 games this season and has only one point in his last five games. His ice-time has been way down of late and some are wondering if the vintage forward needs a couple games off to hit the reset button before the playoff run.

As for Sandin, he's been banged up recently but is ready to go, meanwhile Keefe has other ideas. The team continues to give Travis Dermott a look in what's really become a showcase to other teams at this point. Another piece worth noting is the fact William Nylander and John Tavares have been broken up for only the second time this season. They have been struggling of late to find their games and Keefe hasn't been happy with how things have shaped up on his second line. Alex Kerfoot goes up the other way and has been promoted from fourth-line winger to centering the third line.