The Maple Leafs made two roster changes before their game in Buffalo tonight. Winger Mitch Marner has been placed on LTIR retroactive to March 7th by the organization, citing roster management concerns, they said in a tweet. By doing this, they made enough salary cap room to bring back AHL Toronto defenseman Marshall Rifai.
Due to an ankle injury, Marner has been sidelined since March 7th, which has severely hurt Toronto’s starting lineup. The 26-year-old was playing well prior to the injury, racking up 25 goals and 51 assists in 62 games at a point-per-game rate that would have given him a realistic chance to reach 100 points after falling just short in each of the previous two seasons.
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The Maple Leafs have placed F Mitch Marner on LTI retroactive to March 7 for roster management purposes, and recalled D Marshall Rifai from the @TorontoMarlies.
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) March 30, 2024
A player must miss 10 games and 24 days in order to meet the LTIR rules and be eligible for activation. Marner will miss his ninth game this evening, and on Sunday, he will have missed twenty-four games. Marner is anticipated to return to practice on Tuesday, and this placement won’t interfere with those plans, as was mentioned yesterday.
After being activated for a few days in February, Rifai is being recalled for the second time this season. He did play in two games with the Maple Leafs during that time, which was his first taste of NHL action. With the Marlies, the 26-year-old has played in the lower leagues for the majority of the season, scoring 17 points in 49 games.
The injuries to Timothy Liljegren, Joel Edmundson, and Morgan Rielly on the blue line have hurt the Leafs badly in recent days. Rifai’s return seems to be a safety precaution in the event that another experienced blueliner is unable to oppose the Sabres.