The Maple Leafs’ depleted defence corps looks to have reinforcements on the way soon.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe shared that Morgan Rielly’s return to on-ice work was “imminent” on Thursday, a welcome sight for a team already rolling of late.
Keefe further shared that there was still a ways to go before Rielly ultimately returned to the lineup, however he noted that his club’s alternate captain has overall been feeling better in recent days.
Rielly has been out since he suffered a knee injury on Nov. 22 against the New York Islanders. He was placed on injured reserve the following day, meaning that the earliest he could return would be this upcoming Saturday against the Washington Capitals.
Before hitting the shelf, the 28-year-old had been off to a strong start to his campaign. His sixteen assists through twenty games ranked second on the Maple Leafs at the time of injury, while he also led the team in ice time, averaging an even 23 minutes per game.