Maple Leafs place defenceman Marshall Rifai on waivers

After he was placed on a conditioning loan, there was speculation about whether Rifai would be appearing with the Maple Leafs soon, but now it appears that’s on hold, at least for the time being. If Rifai clears waivers, he will continue to play with the Marlies beyond the expiry of his loan, earning bigger minutes as he eyes a return to the NHL.

At 6-foot-2 and 211 pounds, it’s not hard to imagine he’s an asset Craig Berube would like to employ down the line, especially if Toronto’s defensive unit continues to struggle and suffer from the injury bug. Earlier in December, The Leafs Nation’s Alex Hobson wrote the case for Rifai getting a shot on the Leafs blue line:

Rifai may not have the NHL experience to prove it, but he plays the style of game that Berube and most head coaches appreciate. He’s sturdy, he works his tail off, he’s strong defensively and he’ll stick up for his teammates. He won’t provide much in the way of offence, but he’s not the type of player you’ll see the camera pan to after a bad goal against and you won’t hear his name that often. For a defenceman with limited NHL experience, this is a good thing.