Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe says forward Mitch Marner remains out and did not skate today. He noted when speaking to the media, “It hasn’t been responding the way that they had hoped. So we’re just stepping back a bit with it.” It was confirmed Marner would not make the two-game road trip after the setback was announced. Marner was injured on March 7.
GM Brad Treliving said, “It’s in all likelihood a minor injury, but we want to be respectful for it … hopefully he’s back sooner rather than later.” That was a slightly different message than the one sent by the coach.
Keefe said Marner is “day-to-day from being day-to-day”. It’s not clear exactly what that means other then Keefe suggested there was a setback. The assumption here is that Marner skated, he wasn’t feeling well enough to practice and may have aggravated something further, so the Maple Leafs have decided not to push things. When asked if Leafs fans should be worried about it, Nick Kypreos said, “I would poop my pants if I was a Leafs fan right now.” He then noted:
“Whatever it is, it’s not good enough to practice with the team. Why are you going to rush him back? He’s got an outside shot at playing against Edmonton on Saturday, so how it feels in the next three days.”
This isn’t wonderful news for the Maple Leafs who are going to need Marner if they hope to compete in the playoffs this season. He’s a huge part of their offense and if something like this lingers and sticks with him throughout the rest of the season, how effective will he be when it matters most?
In 62 games this season, Marner has 25 goals and 76 points.
Marner and Lyubushikin Still Out With Injuries for the Maple Leafs
He also noted that defenseman Ilya Lyubushkin is ill and is doubtful to be in the lineup tomorrow against the Philadelphia Flyers.
Next: Maple Leafs Face Tough Week: Can They Win the Back-to-Backs?
