Mark Masters just reported that Morgan Rielly and Chris Tanev are both out tonight for the Maple Leafs against the Devils.
Losing one regular is a lineup tweak. Losing two on the same night changes how Toronto has to approach the game.
The news landed this afternoon, a few hours before the Maple Leafs and Devils meet. Nick Richard of the Maple Leafs beat reacted with a blunt "Oh BROTHER."
-
Rielly and Tanev have both been part of Toronto's regular rotation, and the coaching staff now has to build tonight's group without them. That means different matchups and different minutes for whoever draws in.
Nothing we have says why either player is out. We will not guess at an injury or a rest day, because neither has been confirmed.
Toronto has a quick turnaround on its plans. The lineup card the Maple Leafs hand in tonight will look different from the one they were expecting this morning, and the Devils will notice.
New Jersey is not arriving at full strength either. The Devils are missing Anthony Mantha, which means this one is a battle of thinned-out benches.
What we still don't know about the Maple Leafs lineup
The biggest open question is who steps in. No call-up or lineup shuffle has been announced, so any talk of replacements would be speculation.
The length of the absences is equally unclear. If both players are out beyond tonight, this stops being a one-game problem and becomes a roster decision for the days ahead.
That is where the real cost is. A single night without two regulars is manageable, but a stretch without them is the kind of thing that forces a front office to act.
We will keep tabs on the Maple Leafs as the lineup becomes official and any further word comes in.
Quick hits
NEW JERSEY DEVILS: Anthony Mantha "will miss some time," head coach Sheldon Keefe says, and he is out tonight in Toronto. A high-stick to the throat is a scary way to lose a forward.
-
COLORADO AVALANCHE: Cale Makar was pulled from Sunday's practice and will be reevaluated Monday, according to LNH Fr. Avalanche fans will be watching that update closely.
-
TAMPA BAY LIGHTNING: Josh Morrissey will not play tonight for the Jets against the Lightning because of a wrist injury, RotoWire reports. That is a big hole for Winnipeg.
-
FLORIDA PANTHERS: Anton Lundell tackled Charlie McAvoy between the benches, according to Jack Studley, and the Panthers-Bruins game at TD Garden just got uglier.
-
PITTSBURGH PENGUINS: The Penguins recalled forward Rutger McGroarty from Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, the team announced Sunday afternoon, hours before tonight's game at Anaheim.
-
Will the Maple Leafs regret playing the Devils without Rielly and Tanev tonight?
Also read on Markerzone.com:
Boston sends Florida home embarrassed after chaos involving Brady and Matthew Tkachuk
