BREAKING: Two Core-Four Maple Leafs Removed From Lineup Last Minute

Don't look now, but the holes in the lineup are piling up for the Toronto Maple Leafs. After losing defenceman Morgan Rielly to a suspension earlier today, two members of the team's "Core 4" have been pulled from the lineup for tonight's game against the St. Louis Blues.

As first reported by Chris Johnston on X, both Mitch Marner and John Tavares are ill and are not in the lineup for tonight.

Toronto Pulls Two Members of Core 4 from Tonight's Game

Meanwhile, it was announced earlier today that Conor Timmins was out indefinitely as he is dealing with a case of mono. That illness can take months to completely recover from.

Loses Mounting for Maple Leafs After Two Key Players Come Down with an Illness

As mentioned, Rielly was given five games earlier today by the NHL's Department of Player Safety after his cross-check to the head of Ridly Grieg of the Ottawa Senators Saturday night. Rielly was retaliating for Greig deciding to score a goal on an empty net with a slapshot. It's a terrible time for the Maple Leafs to be missing so many players, especially key ones like Marner, Tavares and Rielly. The team is currently in one of the Eastern Conference's Wild Card spots.