The Toronto Maple Leafs are without their top three defensemen now, after Morgan Rielly exited last night with a knee injury. Rielly has been quickly moved to long-term injured reserve, with Darren Dreger of TSN tweeting that there are “rumblings” of a grade 1 or 2 MCL injury. That would come with a four to six-week recovery, according to Dreger.
In his place, the team has recalled Victor Mete and Mac Hollowell from the AHL.
At a very minimum, the veteran defenseman will miss 10 games and 24 days with his LTIR placement. Given he is expected back this season, the cap flexibility awarded with this move is temporary. The Maple Leafs could not for instance replace Rielly’s cap hit with an external option, as they’ll need it to activate him again down the road.
With Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and T.J. Brodie out all at the same time – the latter was on the ice before practice today testing out his oblique injury – the Maple Leafs are in a tough spot. The team’s most reliable defender becomes 39-year-old Mark Giordano, with some mix of Justin Holl, Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin, and Jordie Benn behind him.
Mete obviously has plenty of NHL experience as well, but Hollowell would be making his debut should he get into the lineup.
With that in mind, there will be plenty of speculation surrounding the Maple Leafs in the next few weeks. The team had already been linked to several defensemen around the league, and if Muzzin is out for the rest of the season, as expected, they do have a bit of cap room to work with.
Hello Jacob Chychrun.
Ahhh yes a team in desperate need for a healthy d-man trades for… checks notes…. A oft injured defender in Chychrun
Gonna cost some draft pick capital on top of added sweeteners to make the cap side work out.
I guess Chychrun is more risk than GM Dubas wants to take. He’s been out for lengthy times and I don’t see him to be a plug-and-play option for the Leafs. He struggled quite a lot last season after returning from another injury. Chychrun might be a nice add longer term, though, but this won’t be Dubas’ concern. GM is on an expiring contract and he will be much more interested in a good short-term solution without much risk. Maybe someone like Gavrikov who also happens to be on an expiring contract.
Riley Stillman is available for some lightly used socks.
As long as they’re not Make Belief socks
Goodbye 1st round pick, yet again.
The Leafs are going nowhere this year and every year with the three overpaid ballarinas in the lineup. At least one has to go not named Tavares or Marner. So trading for a defencman unless it is a longterm move is stupidity.
Are you saying Toronto should trade Matthews?