Toronto Maple Leafs forward Mitch Marner is out with a shoulder injury and is expected to miss three to four weeks.
Sheldon Keefe said it’s a shoulder injury for Mitch Marner. Could be out 3-4 weeks.
Got bumped by Jake Muzzin in practice and as things settled, injury was worse than originally thought. Marner has since had an MRI.
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) December 7, 2021
Mitch Marner Out Multiple Weeks With Shoulder Injury
The injury happened during a Leafs practice on Friday. Marner and defenceman Jake Muzzin made contact with each other during a drill, drawing the ire of Marner, who seemed to be quite aggravated by the incident. After things settled between the two, Marner skated off the ice to be further evaluated.
What seemed to be harmless contact has now turned for the worse. An MRI has shown that the injury is worse than the Leafs thought. Toronto has placed Marner on injured reserve and he’s projected to make his return to the lineup in late December.
Marner’s Absence To Be Felt Throughout the Lineup
Toronto has been rolling as of late but the absence of Marner was evident in the Leafs’ latest losses. Toronto had back-to-back losses for the first time since October 25.
Marner plays crucial minutes on the penalty kill and the PK was greatly exposed by the Winnipeg Jets, as they converted three out of five opportunities with the man advantage. As a whole, the Leafs penalty kill is operating at 60% without Marner in their last two losses.
Mitch’s 27 takeaways lead the team and are further evidence of how effective he is as a two-way player. Luckily, the Leafs put together a 15-2 run from October 27 to December 1, creating a nice cushion for themselves in the Atlantic Division. Should the Leafs falter during the absence of Marner, they should still be well-positioned in the standings and not have much ground to make up.
In related news, defenceman Travis Dermott is also going to be on the shelf with a shoulder injury. Sheldon Keefe says it’s not as serious as Marner’s.
Mitch Marner has six goals and 21 points in 24 contests this year. Travis Dermott has one goal and two points in 18 games this season. He has found himself in and out of the press box this year.
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