Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters on Saturday that forward Mitch Marner would be day-to-day with a lower-body injury and would not play in Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens.
Marner stayed in Toronto to be evaluated by team doctors. Some reporters are speculating that the injury may have occurred in the second period of their Thursday match against the Boston Bruins, when Marner fell after a shot attempt. He would finish the game.
Because of Marner’s absence, Keefe blended the lines ahead of Saturday’s game. William Nylander and Tyler Bertuzzi will be the wingers on Auston Matthews’ line, John Tavares will center a line with Max Domi and Calle Jarnkrok and David Kampf will be down the middle with Matthew Knies and Bobby McMann.
Newest acquisition Connor DeWar will center the fourth line with Pontus Holmberg and Ryan Reaves. He was acquired for a fourth-round pick in 2026.
Marner is having another highly-productive offensive season, scoring 25 goals and 51 assists for 76 points through 62 games. Now in his eighth NHL season, Marner has 193 goals and 437 assists for 630 points in 569 career games. He is currently on pace to finish the year with his fourth 90-point season in his career.
Drafted No. 4 overall in the 2015 NHL Entry Draft, Marner spent three seasons tearing up the Ontario Hockey League’s London Knights. Marner had 96 goals and 205 assists for 301 points in 184 career games.
He won a Memorial Cup with the team in 2016.
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