It is the first time Matthews has been skating since suffering a lower-body injury against the Boston Bruins. The Leafs captain took a hit from behind from Nikita Zadorov and then went back at the hulking defenceman moments later in what would be his final shift of the night, but Berube said the injury occurred earlier in the game.
The 28-year-old Matthews, who has 14 points in 2025-26, was limited to 33 goals in 67 games last season as he dealt with a persistent upper-body injury.
Tanev has been sidelined since suffering a scary injury against the Philadelphia Flyers on Nov. 2. According to PuckPedia, the Leafs put Tanev on long-term injury reserve, which freed up some cap space but it also provides more clarity on his timeline to return.
A player placed on LTIR has to miss a minimum of 10 NHL regular-season games and 24 calendar days. Tanev has already missed seven games and would be eligible to return by Nov. 26 against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
Rifai has not played a game this season after having wrist surgery. The 27-year-old defenceman suffered the injury during pre-season action.
The Leafs take on the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday looking to end their five-game losing streak.
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