The Maple Leafs placed right winger William Nylander on injured reserve Monday, according to a team announcement. The placement is retroactive to Dec. 27, so he is eligible for activation at any time. Nylander’s roster spot will go to defenseman Marshall Rifai, whom the team said has been recalled from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies.
Nylander has now missed four games since sustaining a lower-body injury against the Senators nine days ago. He’s back on the ice and skated Monday, David Alter of The Hockey News reports, but he will presumably miss at least one more game.
Toronto has not lost in regulation during Nylander’s latest absence, collecting six out of eight possible points with a 2-0-2 record. The 29-year-old previously missed four games in October and November due to a lower-body injury and an illness, limiting his season total to 33 appearances.
Despite the recurring inavailability, Nylander’s 27 assists and 41 points still sit atop the Leafs’ leaderboard. He’s also been Toronto’s best finisher at 20.6% (min. 50 shots on goal).
Rifai’s recall indicates there’s legitimate concern about Jake McCabe’s status for Tuesday’s clash with the Panthers. Head coach Craig Berube said after Saturday’s overtime loss to the Islanders that McCabe would need to undergo evaluation for an undisclosed injury he sustained in the third period (via Alter).
The fact that Nylander, instead of McCabe, is landing on IR to make room for the Leafs to add another defenseman likely isn’t an indicator of the latter’s return timeline one way or another. There’s simply added roster flexibility by placing someone who’s already missed more than a week on IR, removing any potential restrictions on activation.
Rifai, 27, only recently got his season underway with the Marlies after needing wrist surgery due to a preseason injury. In five games, the 6’2″ lefty has recorded two assists with eight penalty minutes and a +2 rating.
The Quebec native only has two NHL games to his name and none since February 2024, but that could change tomorrow if the Leafs opt to continue playing lefty Oliver Ekman-Larsson on his off side while keeping righty Philippe Myers in the press box. Myers was scratched for the first time in several days against the Islanders after posting two assists and a -8 rating in 21 appearances this year.