Projected Lineups Revealed for Maple Leafs vs. Blue Jackets Clash

With Toronto taking on the Columbus Blue Jackets on Saturday night, they are going to be in tough against a scrappy Blue Jackets team who is trying to play spoiler to a Leafs team trying to increase the gap in the Atlantic.

So with Anthony Stolarz set to patrol the crease, there remains questions about how the lineup will go given that both David Kampf and Jake McCabe are both out injured.

Well, we have a pretty good idea after the morning skate, and it sees one polarizing forward back in action once again.

Nick Robertson will slide in on the right side of the fourth line for Kampf while Pontus Holmberg mans the middle, meanwhile Oliver Ekman-Larsson joins Chris Tanev on the second line and depth defender Philippe Myers will take over for McCabe.

In 62 games, Robertson has 19 points (12G, 7A) in only 12:03 TOI, another rough season for the divisive forward.

Myers has been used sparingly this season, playing in 29 games and registering four points (1G, 3A) in 16:27 TOI; he signed an extension with the team earlier this year.

It's going to be tough for Robertson and Myers to replicate what either injured man can do, but they have to have some motivation when it comes to showing what they can do (especially Robertson).

The team is going to have to rely heavily on Scott Laughton, Holmberg, and Steven Lorentz to handle most of the defensive duties and penalty killing with Kampf injured, and it will be a true test of wills if they can handle things without arguably one of their most underrated players.

Columbus will line up with former Maple Leafs forward James Van Riemsdyk on the second line, showing the veteran power forward can still contribute, and it wouldn't be surprising to see him score against his former club.

Toronto will have their hands full though, and trying to suppress Zach Werenski and rookie sensation Adam Fantilli is no easy feat, and it'll be up to Brandon Carlo, Chris Tanev, and Morgan Rielly to shoulder a lot of the load at the back end.

It will be interesting to see how Toronto adapts to their injured and how the replacements end up doing. It could be a sign that the team's depth may be suited for a deep playoff run, or yet another quick exit.

But only time will tell.