Nick Paul left the Toronto Maple Leafs' preseason game against Ottawa tonight and never came back for the second period.
The 31-year-old forward logged just 4:42 before heading off in the first. The Maple Leafs haven't disclosed the nature of the injury.
It was supposed to be a fun night. This was his home debut at Scotiabank Arena, part of a split-squad date with the Senators.
Instead, he wasn't on the bench when the second period started.
Paul only just got here. Toronto acquired him from the Tampa Bay Lightning this offseason, and this is his first camp in blue and white.
So how worried should the Leafs be? Nobody outside the room knows yet, and one early exit in September doesn't have to mean anything.
Jim Hiller waits on an update with opening night six days away
Jim Hiller took over the bench in June, so this camp is his first real look at a lot of new pieces. Losing one of them in a first period stings.
The timing is ugly. The Maple Leafs open the regular season September 29 at home against Montreal.
Before tonight, they were still hunting for a first preseason win after dropping a 4-3 decision past regulation in Montreal on Saturday.
Depth matters in a lineup built like this one. Auston Matthews carries a $13,250,000 cap hit, and William Nylander checks in at $11,500,000.
When that much money sits at the top, every veteran forward below it has to stay in the lineup. Losing one this early would be a bad start for Hiller.
It's like moving into a new house and blowing a fuse at the housewarming. Probably nothing, but everybody notices when the lights go out.
The Senators get a regular-season look at Toronto soon enough. They visit Scotiabank Arena on October 3.
Until the Maple Leafs offer an update, every question at practice this week will circle back to the same empty spot in the lineup.
If Paul is back on the ice in a few days, tonight becomes a footnote. If he isn't, Hiller's first opening night lineup just got harder to build.
Should the Maple Leafs shut Nick Paul down for the rest of the preseason?
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