Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly was placed on long-term injured reserve on Tuesday. This comes after Rielly suffered a blow to his knee during the Leafs’ game at home against the New York Islanders on Monday night.
Rielly was injured during a collision with New York forward Kyle Palmieri early in the third period of the game as the Leafs went on to lose 3-2 in overtime. With an average of 23 minutes of time on the ice per game, Riley has amassed 16 assists in 20 games this season.
By listing Rielly on their long-term injured reserve, the Maple Leafs now have some added salary cap flexibility which they can use to promote reinforcements from their American Hockey League affiliate.
The Leafs have been hit by a barrage of injury concerns this season, with both Jake Muzzin and TJ Brodie missing from the defense. Muzzin currently battling a neck injury while TJ Brodie is faced with an injured oblique.
Maple Leafs’ coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed that Rielly will not require surgery, however, no timeline for his recovery has yet been established. He will be expected to miss a minimum of 24 days and 10 games as a result of long-term injured reserve protocol.
