Injury Updates: Marner, Bozak, Penguins

Injury notes around the NHL this morning:

• Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner will not play tonight against the Montreal Canadiens, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. Marner suffered an upper-body injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets last week, and will miss his fifth straight game. The rookie forward skated with the team this morning as a defenseman, so media had an inkling that he would not dress tonight. Coach Mike Babcock told media—in apparent disagreement with the team’s medical staff—that Marner “looked like the best player out there to me, I don’t know why he’s not in tonight.”
• The Toronto Maple Leafs may also be without forward Tyler Bozak tonight. The team announced that Bozak will be a game-time decision after missing the morning skate, reports the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby, but the team declined to specify what ails Bozak. Forward Ben Smith would replace Bozak, centering James van Riemsdyk and Connor Brown. Smith currently has 2G and 2A in 34 games for the Maple Leafs, and averaging under 12 minutes a night.
• The Pittsburgh Penguins announced that defenseman Kris Letang will miss tonight’s Stadium Series game against the Philadelphia Flyers. Coach Mike Sullivan called Letang day-to-day. Furthermore defenseman Justin Schultz will be a game time decision. If both Schultz and Letang miss tonight’s game, newly acquired defenseman Ron Hainsey should be expected to shoulder a large load. The Penguins are already missing Olli Maatta and Trevor Daley, so Ian Cole would become the top defenseman outside Hainsey. Tonight’s game takes place at Heinz Field, home of the Pittsburgh Steelers.