The Toronto Maple Leafs, already guaranteed to be in the next playoffs, have decided to release some of their players for Sunday night’s game against the Detroit Red Wings.
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In the morning, head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that defensemen Mark Giordano and Jake McCabe and forward Mitch Marner would not play the game against the Michigan team.
The pilot explained that the two rear ones became free and the front one suffered from “bruising”.
This will be the first Maple Leafs game Marner didn’t play in 2022-23. He has 28 goals and 67 assists for 95 points in 75 games this season and ranks first in the team standings.
Forwards Wayne Simmonds and Nick Abruzzese and defenseman Conor Timmins were recalled from the American League to play the game against the Wings.
With seven games remaining in their regular season, the Leafs are left with only one seeding issue. It’s all about consolidating second place in the Atlantic Division and gaining home field advantage for the first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Going into Sunday’s National League clashes, the Queen City club were four points clear of the Bolts.