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Mitch Marner

Maple Leafs Place Mitch Marner On LTIR

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March 31: Toronto assigned Rifai back to AHL Toronto on Sunday, per a team announcement. He did not play in Saturday’s 3-0 win over the Sabres. The Maple Leafs now have enough cap space to activate Marner from LTIR ahead of his anticipated return later this week.

March 30: The Maple Leafs have made a pair of roster moves heading into their game tonight in Buffalo.  The team announced (Twitter link) that winger Mitch Marner has been placed on LTIR retroactive to March 7th for what they’ve termed as roster management purposes.  In doing so, they opened up enough salary cap space to recall defenseman Marshall Rifai from AHL Toronto.

Marner has been out since March 7th with an ankle injury, a significant blow to Toronto’s lineup.  Before the injury, the 26-year-old was doing quite well, collecting 25 goals and 51 assists in 62 games, a point-per-game pace that would have given him a legitimate opportunity to reach the 100-point mark after coming up just short on that front in each of the last two seasons.

As part of the LTIR requirements, a player must miss 10 games and 24 days before being eligible to be activated.  Tonight’s game will be the tenth game that Marner misses while the 24-day mark will be reached on Sunday.  It was noted yesterday that Marner is expected back at practice on Tuesday and this placement will not affect those plans.

As for Rifai, this is his second recall of the season after being up for a few days in February.  During that stretch, he did get into a pair of games with the Maple Leafs, his first taste of NHL action.  The 26-year-old has spent most of the season in the minors with the Marlies, picking up 17 points in 49 contests.

The Leafs have been hit hard with injuries on the blueline in recent days with Morgan Rielly, Joel Edmundson, and Timothy Liljegren all being banged up.  It appears Rifai’s recall will serve as a hedge in case another veteran blueliner is unable to go against the Sabres.

Atlantic Notes: Marner, Rielly, Greenway

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Jonas Siegel of The Athletic reports that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner is expected back at practice next Tuesday. Marner has not been in the lineup for the Maple Leafs since their March 7th contest against the Boston Bruins, suffering a high ankle sprain for the last three weeks.

Suppose Marner can attend practice earlier next week as a full participant. In that case, he should be able to return to the lineup in the team’s ever-important matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Wednesday, or against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday.

Given that the standings in the Atlantic Division continue to narrow, the Maple Leafs could certainly use the injection of Marner back into the lineup. Producing well over a point-per-game average for the sixth straight season, Marner has scored 25 goals and 76 points in 62 games for Toronto this season, sitting third on the team in scoring.

Other Atlantic notes:

  • Sticking with the Maple Leafs, defenseman Morgan Rielly is not expected back for the team’s game this Saturday, but is progressing well from his injury according to David Alter of The Hockey News. Carrying a key role on the team similar to Marner, Rielly has been the most productive defenseman in Toronto for quite some time. This season, Rielly has already scored seven goals and 51 points in 65 games, which would make for the third-best season of his career if the season ended today.
  • Moving southeast to Buffalo, forward Jordan Greenway is expected back for the Buffalo Sabres tonight per a report from Paul Hamilton of WGR Sports Radio. In now his first full season with the Sabres organization, Greenway has been a key secondary scorer for Buffalo, scoring nine goals and 24 points while averaging 17:12 a game.

Snapshots: Marner, Samsonov, Rielly, Rousek, Quinn

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Star Toronto Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner won’t make his return for at least two more games, per The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel (Twitter link). That would bring Marner up to 10 games missed with a high ankle sprain. His return is gaining anticipation with each absence, with Marner again serving as one of Toronto’s premier talents. He’s scored 25 goals and 76 points in just 62 games this season – a 100-point scoring pace across 82 games. He’ll try to chase the 90-point mark for the third straight season when he returns, though he may find himself short a few minutes on account of Max Domi. Domi has scored one goal and nine points in eight games while serving in Marner’s top-six role, including a four-assist night on March 20th. But even with Domi’s help, Toronto is undoubtedly missing Marner – going 4-3-1 in his absence, after a 19-3-6 hot streak.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Toronto goaltender Ilya Samsonov feels ready to return after missing the team’s last two games with a calf contusion, per TSN’s Mark Masters (Twitter link). Martin Jones has returned to a backup role in Samsonov’s absence, though his only appearance has been the three minutes he filled for Samsonov in the team’s Saturday game. Joseph Woll has continued to carry the starter role, though he’s lost both games that Samsonov has missed.
  • But while Toronto is expecting Samsonov back, they could still be without defenseman Morgan Rielly, per Sportsnet’s Luke Fox (Twitter link). Rielly is facing an upper-body injury that also held him out of the team’s Tuesday night game. He’s been an impactful defender when active – managing seven goals and 51 points in 65 games this season. He’ll likely bump either Simon Benoit or Ilya Lyubushkin out of the lineup when he returns.
  • Buffalo Sabres forward Lukas Rousek is expected to miss a couple of days with an upper-body injury, after taking a stick in the face from practice, per Bleacher Report’s Joe Yerdon (Twitter link). Rousek’s role will be filled by Jack Quinn, who is making his return from a lower-body injury that required surgery in January. Quinn has only played in 17 games this season – though he’s been impactful, scoring five goals and 12 points.

Maple Leafs Notes: Marner, Rielly, Edmundson, Giordano

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have received a handful of injury updates from their Tuesday morning practice. Most notably, star winger Mitch Marner has progressed to day-to-day with his high-ankle sprain, with head coach Sheldon Keefe saying he’s progressing well, per Sportsnet’s Luke Fox (Twitter link). Marner is still expected to miss Toronto’s Tuesday night game against New Jersey, marking his eighth game missed with this injury. He will target a return on Thursday when the Leafs take on the Washington Capitals.

Marner has continued to build on his dominant career this season, with 25 goals and 76 points in just 62 games. Max Domi has stepped into a top-line role in his absence, recording eight points in his last seven games. That includes four assists on March 20th – just the third four-point-night in Domi’s career.

Other Maple Leafs injury updates:

  • Fox also shared that defenseman Morgan Rielly has been designated as a game-time decision for the team’s Tuesday night game (Twitter link). Rielly is facing an undisclosed injury, after playing in 24 minutes of the team’s Sunday night loss to the Carolina Hurricanes. He has seven goals and 51 points in 65 games this season, and will likely bump Simon Benoit out of the lineup if he returns.
  • Joel Edmundson is officially out on Tuesday, designated as day-to-day with an undisclosed injury (Twitter link). Edmundson has played in seven games since joining the Leafs at the Trade Deadline. He’s still searching for his first point with Toronto, with two penalty minutes and a +4 marking his only stat changes.
  • Mark Giordano could slot in for Edmundson, with Fox sharing that he is now healthy and cleared to play (Twitter link). Giordano is poised to make his return from a concussion that’s held him out for the last month. He’s managed one goal, seven points, and 33 penalty minutes in 38 games this season.

Afternoon Notes: Bischel, Marner, Lyubushkin, Regenda

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The Boston Bruins have returned to the well in South Bend, signing the University of Notre Dame’s Ryan Bischel to a one-year, minor-league contract that begins next season. Bischel joins the Providence Bruins just one week after Notre Dame teammate Drew Bavaro signed a deal with the team. Bavaro – who signed an amateur try-out for the rest of this season, in addition to a one-year deal next season – has since played in the first two AHL games of his career, recording one penalty and two shots. Boston also acquired former Notre Dame captain Andrew Peeke at the Trade Deadline, sending Jakub Zboril and a 2027 third-round pick to the Columbus Blue Jackets.

The Bruins are landing one of the top NCAA free agents in Bischel, who is a finalist for Big Ten Goaltender of the Year this season after winning the award last year. The 24-year-old netminder has served as Notre Dame’s full-time starter over the last two seasons, recording a combined 31 wins and .928 save percentage. He’s been dazzling for the Fighting Irish, earning the eighth-most wins and seventh-best save percentage in program history over his five years in Indiana.

Bischel now joins a Bruins goalie room filled with great talent, including reigning Vezina Trophy winner Linus Ullmark, William M. Jennings Trophy batterymate Jeremy Swayman, and 2023 AHL All-Star Brandon Bussi. The Bruins reportedly tried to move Ullmark at the Deadline, though the esteemed netminder invoked his no-trade clause to block the deal. Boston could be poised to revisit those trade talks this summer, after bolstering their depth charts with this move.

Other notes from around the league:

  • Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is doubtful for the team’s Tuesday game against Philadelphia, per head coach Sheldon Keefe (Twitter Link), who shares that Lyubushkin is battling illness. Keefe also shared that star forward Mitch Marner continues to carry a day-to-day designation and won’t join the team on their upcoming two-game road trip. Marner has missed Toronto’s last three games with a high ankle sprain, while Lyubushkin may exit the lineup after battling through an undisclosed injury, and questionable designation, for the team’s Saturday game.
  • The Anaheim Ducks have sent Pavol Regenda back to the AHL after recalling him on an emergency loan on March 12th. Regenda played in four NHL games on the recall, recording no points, two penalty minutes, and a -1. He also managed four blocks, six shots on net, and 10 hits. The matchups bring Regenda to 19 career NHL games, though the one goal and three points he managed in 14 games last season stand as his only scoring. The 24-year-old winger also has 16 goals and 29 points in 39 AHL games this season.

Maple Leafs Designate Calle Järnkrok As Week-To-Week

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Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said Friday that forward Calle Järnkrok will be out week-to-week due to a hand injury. Winger Mitch Marner, who’s missed two games with a high ankle sprain, has also been ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Hurricanes (via Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun). It likely won’t be Marner’s last absence, either, as Keefe said he’ll need a bit to ramp up from the injury and won’t begin skating routinely until next week.

Järnkrok sustained the injury when he lost an edge and collided with the boards in last night’s 6-2 road drubbing of the Flyers. It’s unclear if this injury is related to the knuckle fracture that recently sidelined him for over a month. With 33 days remaining until the end of Toronto’s regular season schedule, there’s no guarantee Järnkrok will return before the postseason begins, especially if this hand injury is similar in severity to his previous one.

The 32-year-old is again giving the Leafs decent bang for their buck in a versatile top-nine role, posting above-average possession impacts with a 52.2 Corsi-for percentage at even strength and a career-high +10.2 expected rating. His actual +16 rating is third among Toronto forwards behind Marner and Auston Matthews. That’s helped offset a slight decrease in offensive production. He’s scored 10 goals and 21 points in 52 games, a slight decrease in pace from last year’s 20 goals and 39 points in 73 games, but he remains a decent plug-and-play option who can occupy all three forward positions and log significant minutes, averaging 15:15 per game.

With Järnkrok out, the team will likely give youngster Nicholas Robertson another shot in a top-nine role. The 22-year-old has eight goals and 19 points in 41 games this season while averaging 11:21 per contest, all career-highs, and didn’t look out of place on a strong third line with Bobby McMann and captain John Tavares during Järnkrok’s last extended absence. He’ll likely re-enter the lineup tomorrow for the first time since Feb. 29 against the Coyotes, after which he was briefly assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies to create cap space and roster flexibility ahead of the trade deadline.

Injury Notes: Marner, Eriksson Ek, MacDonald

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Missing the team’s most recent game against the Montreal Canadiens, concerns began to arise regarding the status of Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner. However, in comforting news surrounding the star forward, it was revealed that Marner was only dealing with a mild ankle sprain, and would take a few more days to fully recover (Article Link).

Down the stretch, with Marner playing in nearly all of Toronto’s games this season, the Maple Leafs may opt to keep him out of the lineup for several games due to load management. Taking into account the recent downturn from the Detroit Red Wings and Tampa Bay Lightning, Toronto now holds a comfortable playoff position in the Atlantic Division by a margin of eight points.

The Maple Leafs could theoretically catch up to the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division race, but they would only be playing for home-ice advantage in the first round, as it is unrealistic to imagine the team catching up with the Florida Panthers. Keeping this in mind, it will be more important that all the star players on Toronto’s roster are fully healthy for the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs, which will inevitably influence the organizational decision-making over the next several weeks.

Other injury notes:

  • Before the team’s game tonight against the Anaheim Ducks, the Minnesota Wild announced that center Joel Eriksson Ek would miss the game due to a lower-body injury. It is a tough loss for Minnesota, as the team has willed their way back into the Western Conference playoff conversation. Eriksson Ek has been a focal point of that effort, scoring four goals and 15 points in his last 12 games for the Wild.
  • On a minor note, the San Jose Sharks announced that defenseman Jacob MacDonald would miss the team’s game tonight due to an illness. Recently recalled on March 9th after the Sharks’ trade deadline day moves, MacDonald has played in two games since that transaction. Over the season, on the whole, MacDonald has played in a total of 24 games, scoring six goals and seven points overall.

Atlantic Notes: Bernard-Docker, Marner, Lindholm, Lightning

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The Senators received some trade interest in defenseman Jacob Bernard-Docker, reports Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch.  However, it appears that Ottawa placed a fairly high price tag on the 23-year-old, one that other teams weren’t willing to pay.  Bernard-Docker actually cleared waivers back in training camp but has spent most of the year up with Ottawa, picking up 12 points and 108 blocked shots in 52 games while logging just under 16 minutes a night.  Signed for one more year after this one at an affordable $805K price tag, it’s understandable that the Sens would have had some interest in Bernard-Docker, perhaps not just from buyers either.  Instead, he’ll remain with Ottawa through the rest of the season at least.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury and won’t play tonight versus Montreal, relays David Alter of The Hockey News (Twitter link). He will be re-evaluated in Toronto to assess the extent of the injury.  Marner is once again one of Toronto’s top scorers this season, leading the team in assists with 51 and sitting third in points with 56.  He had been on pace to reach 100 points for the first time but if he misses more than just a few games with this injury, that milestone could ultimately be out of reach.
  • Before their game this afternoon against Pittsburgh, the Bruins announced (Twitter link) that defenseman Hampus Lindholm was cleared to return to the lineup. The 30-year-old had missed the last nine games due to a knee injury.  Lindholm’s second full season in Boston hasn’t been anywhere near as productive as his first when he had 53 points but he still has a goal and 18 assists through 56 games while logging nearly 24 minutes a night.
  • While the Lightning returned defensemen Emil Martinsen Lilleberg and Maxwell Crozier to the minors yesterday, Eduardo A. Encina of the Tampa Bay Times mentions (Twitter link) that one of the two could be recalled as extra depth for their upcoming four-game road trip. Martinsen Lilleberg has played in 23 games with Tampa Bay so far, logging nearly 16 minutes a night while Crozier has made 13 appearances, averaging just shy of 13 minutes per contest.

Snapshots: Nylander, Dumba, Domi

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Chris Johnston reported on The Chris Johnston Show that the Toronto Maple Leafs and forward William Nylander remain far apart in extension talks. Johnston said that he believes that the 27-year-old is looking for a contract that pays him over $10MM annually while the Maple Leafs offer is in the range of $8MM-$9MM per season.

Nylander’s ask is reasonable given that he has put up back-to-back 80+ point seasons and is a pending unrestricted free agent. The trouble for the Leafs will be managing a potential Nylander extension with the cap hits of Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and whatever number Auston Matthews signs for. Couple that with the Morgan Rielly extension and a salary cap that hasn’t budged much in recent seasons, and it could create a very top-heavy team in Toronto going forward.

Nylander had a career year last season putting up 40 goals and 47 assists in 82 games and has silenced critics in recent years who doubted his ability to score in the postseason. Nylander has been a point a game player in both the regular season and the playoffs the past few years and would generate a ton of interest if his name were to be floated in the trade market.

In other snapshots from around the NHL:

  • Craig Morgan of PHNX Sports is reporting that the Arizona Coyotes have been in pursuit of free agent defenseman Matt Dumba since the start of free agency on Saturday. Dumba picked a very unfortunate time to have the worst offensive season of his NHL career as he put up just four goals and 10 assists this past season in 79 games with the Minnesota Wild. The 28-year-old Regina native has been a 25-point defenseman for most of his career but regressed offensively last year and saw very little in the way of power play time. Arizona has been aggressive in free agency thus far signing Jason Zucker, Alexander Kerfoot, and retaining Nick Bjugstad while trading for defenseman Sean Durzi.
  • Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet mentioned this morning that newly acquired Toronto Maple Leafs forward Max Domi would like to remain with the team well beyond the one year he signed on for. Domi was inked to a one-year deal that will pay him $3MM this season, but as Friedman puts it Domi wants Toronto to be his long-term home and it’s easy to see why. Domi’s father Tie Domi was one of the most popular Maple Leafs in recent history and Max spent much of his childhood in Toronto while his father was still playing. He will now get the chance to put on the same jersey he watched his father wear and play in front of the same fans who cheered his Dad on for 12 seasons.

Free Agency Notes: Gostisbehere, Quick, No-Movement Clauses

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As the defending Eastern Conference Champions start the 2023-24 NHL season, they will reportedly be without defensemen Aaron Ekblad and Brandon Montour. Both will be recovering from separate surgeries, and both are expected to be out for about a month after the season kicks off. Needing another defenseman aside from Gustav Forsling to manage the offensive load on the back end, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period reports the team has an interest in unrestricted free agent, Shayne Gostisbehere.

A top-pairing of Gostisbehere and Forsling shouldn’t be expected to replicate the output of Ekblad and Montour, but those two would be serviceable for the first month of the season, and would even represent a superb top-four once Ekblad and Montour make their return. If the Panthers and Gostisbehere do come to an agreement, it will be interesting to see the term handed out, as the team currently doesn’t have any defenseman signed beyond 2024-25.

It wasn’t so long ago that Gostisbehere was considered a salary dump, after being traded along with a second-round pick in 2022 and a seventh-round pick in 2022, to the Arizona Coyotes for nothing but future considerations. After landing in the desert, Gostisbehere had an offensive resurgence of sorts, scoring 24 goals and 58 assists in 134 games with the Coyotes. At last year’s trade deadline, Gostisbehere was moved to the Carolina Hurricanes for a third-round pick in 2026. In a combined total of 38 games in Carolina, Gostisbehere scored three goals and ten assists split between the regular season and the 2023 Stanley Cup playoffs.

Other notes:

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