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With the return of Austin Matthews and Matthew Knies to the lineup Saturday at Tampa Bay, one of the farm team the Marlies filled so admirably will have to sit.

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That would be winger Alex Steeves based on morning skate at Amelie Arena. It could also be a precursor to Steeves returning to the AHL to bring Toronto back under 23 players.

Steeves doesn’t claim waivers where Alex Nylander does, while coach Craig Berube and general manager Brad Treliving aren’t keen on sending back rookie Fraser Minten with the club still on a pair of centers in David Kampf and Max Domi. The mints stay while William Nylander and Pontus Holmberg are on the wings, although they are capable of playing center.

“I want to leave Minten in a position he’s played pretty much in his life,” Berube had told reporters in Florida on Friday, though he says getting the 20-year-old to read plays better is part of a learning curve. “He’s positionally sound, but it all takes time.

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“Guys from the minors were all a part of it, they all did a really good job (putting together a 7-2 record minus Matthews and others). They push, but the key is not to take a step back. Guys who have stepped up (have to) continue to step up. Even with Matthews and Knies back, we have to continue to build that foundation. It lost a little bit last game (the 5-1 loss to the Florida Panthers).

Berube has also taken a page from predecessor Sheldon Keefe’s playbook to use the industrious Holmberg with big names Matthews and William Nylander.

NOVEMBER TO REMEMBER

A statistic came out this week that a little more than 75% of all NHL teams’ playoff qualifying positions last season were decided by America’s Thanksgiving. That Toronto is in good shape to secure its ninth straight postseason berth (tying a mark from its last dynasty in the 1960s) can be traced to a string of successful Novembers.

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Heading into Saturday’s final game of the month, the club’s November win-loss record dating back to 2016-17 and the start of the Core Four era is a remarkable 72-32-8. In the last three years alone, it’s 30-6-5, including 7-3-1 before the Tampa Bay game.

If only the playoffs were staged after American Turkey Day.

BELIEVE IN NICK

Nick Robertson can’t say Berube isn’t a patient man. He continues to be in the outside corner through 12 agonizing games without a goal and just two all year. Robertson’s strong training camp earned him a spot and he signed a one-year contract

“He does a lot of video and stuff with (assistant) coaches,” Berube said. “The positive thing is that he continues to work and wants to do well.

“When I watch Nick, he needs to get to the net a little more and find some dirty goals. Sometimes when your shot doesn’t work (Robertson’s big asset) you have to get fat around the goal.”

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LOOSE LEAF

The Marlies are obviously missing their promoted scorers with the Leafs, 2-0 in Cleveland last Saturday. When he was called up, Steeves was three points away from tying the Marlies record for career points, Kris Newbury’s 168 … NHL 600 game club gets two new Leaf members, defenseman Jake McCabe on Saturday night, and barring injury, Mitch Marner at at home Monday against Chicago. Marner will be the 23rdrd Toronto players clear 600, preceded by William Nylander (625 before Saturday) and Morgan Rielly (813). Matthews was at 575.

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