There is a little more clarity on the injury Mitch Marner sustained against the Boston Bruins last week.
According to TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger, the Toronto Maple Leafs star forward sustained a high-ankle sprain.
"Normally that’s problematic. The Toronto Maple Leafs believe it’s very minor," Dreger said on Thursday. "They got a second opinion to make sure it’s being managed correctly. He hasn’t been on the ice this week so I don’t suspect he’ll be ready to go Saturday. But it’s possible. They’re not ruling him out. But they do want to make sure that they do take the time necessary to make sure that he gets the treatment that he needs."
Marner appeared to injure himself in the second period of the Maple Leafs' 4-1 loss to the Bruins on Mar. 7. Down 2-1 in the game, Marner spun around the net and his leg appeared to buckle underneath him as he attempted a shot on goal. The forward remained in the game, despite being in some apparent discomfort while on the bench.
Dreger also mentioned that some load management might be in play for Marner down the stretch as they take every precaution with Marner's injury.
Marner isn't the first player to sustain a high-ankle injury with both Timothy Liljegren and Joseph Woll suffering from the same ailment that kept them out for months. But as Dreger pointed out, this appears to be a "mild" case.
With Marner out of the lineup, the Leafs have moved Tyler Bertuzzi back up to the top line and the club had a taste of it in the game against the Bruins last week with Marner on the other wing.
Marner leads the Leafs with 51 assists and has 25 goals in 62 games this season.
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