The Maple Leafs just recalled forward Brendan Brisson from the Marlies and placed Colton Sissons on injured reserve.
The IR move is retroactive to November 8, the night Sissons left the game against the Devils with a lower-body injury. Toronto plays Minnesota tonight, and the club has lost four straight.
We covered the original blow when Colton Sissons went down against New Jersey. Sissons has 2 goals and 4 assists in 19 games this season, and he was a regular in the middle of the lineup before the injury.
Brisson is the replacement. The 25-year-old was a first-round pick of the Vegas Golden Knights in 2020, 29th overall, and he has been the best player on the Marlies this season. He leads them with 17 points (8 goals, 9 assists) in 14 games.
The NHL résumé is thin. Brisson has 2 goals and 7 assists in 27 career games and has not played in the NHL this season. Whether he draws into the lineup against the Wild tonight has not been confirmed.
Sissons is listed as day-to-day with a lower-body injury, expected out until at least November 17, according to the latest injury report. Mark Masters reported Tuesday that Sissons is out week-to-week, and Morgan Rielly is day-to-day as well.
Can Brendan Brisson give the Maple Leafs a lift?
He can help, though he won't fix everything. Toronto sits 8-10-2, 23rd in the NHL and seventh in the Atlantic Division, and it has allowed 70 goals against 67 scored.
That is a defensive problem as much as a scoring one, and a recalled center does nothing for the blue line. Tuesday's 6-3 loss to Colorado showed how fast a game can get away from this group.
But the recall is right on its merits. A player producing at better than a point per game in the AHL has earned a look, and the Leafs have a vacancy down the middle. Nine NHL points in 27 games is a small sample, so coach Jim Hiller can judge him on how he plays rather than on his draft slot.
Brisson now has a few weeks to turn a short stay into something longer. If Sissons is back after November 17, someone in the lineup will have to make room.
This article was written with the help of artificial intelligence, based on public reports and official sources.
Should the Maple Leafs keep Brendan Brisson in the lineup even after Colton Sissons is healthy?
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