Morgan Rielly left early vs. the Canucks as the Leafs’ blue line takes another hit
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Morgan Rielly has been ruled out of tonight’s game against the Vancouver Canucks due to an injury.
Defenseman Morgan Rielly has been ruled out of the Toronto Maple Leafs game against Vancouver with an upper-body injury, the Leafs have announced.
It is unclear what caused Rielly to depart against the Canucks, something that will likely be explained by Leafs head coach Craig Berube either after tonight or tomorrow.
What remains to be seen is if Rielly’s absence was a precautionary one or the result of an injury that did not appear to have been noted during the game.
Rielly, 31, has been an offensive leader on the Toronto defense, with seven goals, 24 assists, & 31 points in 53 games this season for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Toronto Maple Leafs defense takes another hit with Morgan Rielly out
The Leafs defensive group is already thinned out with injuries in their blueline with Chris Tanev having been placed on long-term injured reserve.
Rielly is one of the Leafs leading point getters, and a key member of their power play. A loss of him is a large portion of their offense needing to be replaced.
If the matter is a short-term issue, Rielly will have the benefit of the upcoming Olympics to gain a break and get additional rest if needed.
Toronto has already recalled defenseman Marshall Rifai as additional help on the blueline, playing in his season debut tonight against the Canucks.
The Toronto Maple Leafs sit last in the Eastern Conference in goals allowed with 188 coming into tonight vs Vancouver, having lost their last six and down 2-1 when Rielly was announced as not returning.
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Morgan Rielly left early vs. the Canucks as the Leafs’ blue line takes another hit
Will Morgan Rielly’s absence hurt the Leafs if he is out long term?