Rielly Out Eight Weeks with Fractured Foot

@Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman @Morgan Rielly will miss at least eight weeks with a fractured foot he suffered in Sunday’s loss in Florida.

Rielly underwent a CT scan on Monday afternoon, which revealed a fracture in his foot. The Maple Leafs have placed Rielly on IR and used the roster spot to call-up, Rasmus Sandin, from the Toronto Marlies (AHL). An eight-week absence will keep Rielly out until mid-March which will cost Rielly roughly 25 games.

This is a terrible development for the Maple Leafs, who are already without  @Jake Muzzin, who is dealing with a broken foot of his own. @Tyson Barrie had already taken over as the quarterback on the top power-play unit but will be tasked with a larger 5-on-5 role now. Toronto will probably look for a pairing of @Travis Dermott and @Justin Holl to take over as their primary shutdown, top-pair until Muzzin returns.

This is the first long-term absence of Rielly’s career, after missing just 13 games in the previous five years. Coming into Tuesday, the Maple Leafs sit third in the Atlantic Division with 54 points (24-16-6) and are just two points away from falling out of the playoffs.

As for Sandin, he had two assists in six NHL games early in the season before being assigned to the AHL. In a small sample size, he had an incredibly impressive 59.5 CorsiFor% and +5.2 CF% rel while playing just 12:13 ATOI. Head coach Sheldon Keefe figures to lean on Sandin a little more in his second stint given the current nature of their blueline. While with the Marlies, he had 15 points (2G / 13A) in 21 games and was a standout at the World Juniors, scoring three goals with seven assists (10 points) in seven games and won a Bronze Medal.