Toronto Maple Leafs center Alexander Kerfoot will return to in-game action Thursday after missing nearly a week due to surgery he underwent to repair facial dental fractures.
According to the team, Kerfoot originally sustained the injury during the game against the Los Angeles Kings on Nov. 5 and reported "ongoing discomfort" days later while the team was in New York to play the Islanders. He was originally labeled as out indefinitely, but Kerfoot slotted in as the third-line left wing for new head coach Sheldon Keefe's first game on the bench on Nov. 21.
Lines for Sheldon Keefe's Leafs tonight
— Mark Masters (@markhmasters) November 22, 2019
Johnsson - Matthews - Nylander
Mikheyev - Tavares - Hyman
Kerfoot - Spezza - Kapanen
Engvall - 🐐 - Petan
Rielly - Ceci
Muzzin - Holl
Dermott - Barrie
Andersen starts
Kaskisuo
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Scratches: Shore, Timashov, Marincin
The 25-year-old center has scored five goals and recorded three assists through 20 games in his first season with the Leafs. Kerfoot was acquired from the Colorado Avalanche, along with defenseman Tyson Barrie, in an offseason trade that sent Nazem Kadri and Calle Rosen to the Avs.
Kerfoot missed three games while he recovered from this surgery. The Leafs went 0-3 — and fired Mike Babcock — during those games.