The Maple Leafs have made a pair of roster strikes heading into their sport Saturday in Buffalo. The group introduced that winger Mitch Marner had been positioned on LTIR retroactive to March 7 for what they’ve termed as roster administration functions. They opened up sufficient wage cap house to recall defenseman Marshall Rifai from AHL Toronto.
Marner has been out since March 7 with an ankle harm, a big blow to Toronto’s lineup. Earlier than the harm, the 26-year-old was doing fairly nicely, gathering 25 objectives and 51 assists in 62 video games. This point-per-game tempo would have given him a official alternative to succeed in the 100-point mark after arising simply brief on that entrance in every of the final two seasons.
As a part of the LTIR necessities, a participant should miss 10 video games and 24 days earlier than being eligible to be activated. Saturday’s sport would be the tenth sport that Marner misses whereas the 24-day mark can be reached on Sunday. It was famous Friday that Marner is anticipated again at apply on Tuesday and this placement is not going to have an effect on these plans.
As for Rifai, that is his second recall of the season after being up for just a few days in February. Throughout that stretch, he performed a pair of video games with the Maple Leafs, his first style of NHL motion. The 26-year-old has spent many of the season within the minors with the Marlies, choosing up 17 factors in 49 contests.
The Leafs have been hit arduous with accidents on the blueline just lately, with Morgan Rielly, Joel Edmundson, and Timothy Liljegren all banged up. It seems Rifai’s recall will function a hedge in case one other veteran blueliner can not play in opposition to the Sabres.
