Every Leafs fan will be getting out their set of binoculars to see whether 1) Auston Matthews returns to practice or 2) a Mr. Nikita Soshnikov is back on the roster.

Today is the deadline for the team to call up the 24-year-old or run the risk of him returning to the KHL on loan. Considering Soshnikov has been on a tear with the Marlies lately, and he’s shown to be a serviceable player at the NHL level, the decision is going to be pretty obvious.

Matthews skated on his own before Monday’s practice, but for now, the wait continues.

Mark Masters tweeted that the plan will be to have Matthews skate again today and then hopefully take part in Wednesday’s practice. Fingers crossed though. The Leafs have managed to go 3-0 without 34 in the lineup, but the team is missing his presence in some regards.

In Case You Missed It

Marlies come home triumphant from their most gruelling road trip of the season - Pension Plan Puppets
Katya had an excellent recap of what the Marlies have been up to as of late. Ben Smith is becoming a point machine, and Martin Marcincin is on highlight reels. The AHL is a magical place.

Mason Marchment suspended by AHL - Pension Plan Puppets
Marchment's hot start to the season is going will be put on hold for the next little bit.

Toronto Maple Leafs First Term Report Card: The Forwards - Pension Plan Puppets
Take a few minutes with Professor Fulemin as he hands out the first term report card for the Leafs forwards. Is the team with one of the best offences in the league at the top of their class?

Toronto Maple Leafs prospect report: Dakota Joshua is point perfect - Pension Plan Puppets
Dakota Joshua is at the top of elseldo's prospect report this week. He's 11 games into his senior year at Ohio State but is well on his way to becoming a dependable hockey player.

Four Nations tournament: Team Canada has something up its sleeve - Pension Plan Puppets
The Four Nations Cup is a yearly women's hockey tournament played between Canada, the US, Sweden, and Finland. Luckily for us, we had Achariya there on Sunday who witnessed both the Gold and Bronze matches from the weekend. It was an exciting set of games to watch, and just another step towards the Winter Olympics in PyeongChang.

Maple Leafs by the numbers: 36-34 - Pension Plan Puppets
The Leafs sweater number series is continuing, and we've reached the mid-30's. If you know your history, you may have an idea of who is coming in this one. If not, it may fly 200 feet over your head.

Around the Hockey World

Anderson, Hayes share cancer fights with NHL Network
Cancer is something that affects the entire world in some way shape or form, and it's always nice to hear people share their stories on it.

You’re Brian Burke! Can Your Pokemon Team Get Through The Toronto City Gym And Get The Maple Leaf Badge? – TheLeafsNation
What if Brian Burke was a Pokemon Trainer?

This goal has to be one of the most frustrating, ‘no goal,' decisions so far this season. Imagine if that went in:

How it all went wrong for the Surrey Knights, a junior hockey team that hasn’t won a game in nearly two years - The Globe and Mail
And we thought Colorado's 22-56-4 record from last season was terrible. Well, it was because they're an NHL team, but you know what I mean.

NHL returning to Olympics ‘hard to envision,’ says Gary Bettman - SBNation.com
Originally we thought that the NHL misses this year's Winter Olympics and comes back in 2022, but this may not be the only year the NHL doesn't participate.

Finally, we need to give a round of applause to the people inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame last night. All of them had spectacular careers, and if the Leafs trend the way we hope, we could see some of them joining their ranks.

Enjoy your Tuesday! Keep on Be-Leafing.