Mitch Marner to miss 3rd straight game after going on IR
Standout Leafs rookie could return as early as Thursday vs. Rangers; Brooks Laich on waivers
The Toronto Maple Leafs won't have Mitch Marner for at least one more game, but when exactly the 19-year-old rookie returns is unclear.
Marner was placed on injured reserve Tuesday morning, meaning the earliest he can come back from a suspected right shoulder injury is Thursday night against the New York Rangers. Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said Marner is day to day.
"So what does that usually mean? Ten days," Babcock said ahead of a meeting with the Winnipeg Jets, the third straight game Marner will sit out. "That's why they have these doctors and these trainers is because the coach and the player would be playing today. But they don't let us get involved in the equation and we save ourselves from ourselves.
"He's now not available today."
A 10-day timeline would mean a potential Saturday return for Marner with the Montreal Canadiens in town.
Second on Toronto with 48 points, Marner was injured last Wednesday when he fell awkwardly into the boards in a 5-2 loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets.
He sat out the last two games, a loss Saturday to the Ottawa Senators and win over the Carolina Hurricanes on Sunday.
Connor Brown, his replacement alongside veterans Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk, had two goals in a Sunday night victory against the Carolina Hurricanes.
The Leafs also recalled Frederik Gauthier from the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies. Gauthier is expected to centre the fourth line in place of veteran Ben Smith against the Jets.
Laich on waivers
The Associated Press reported the team has placed veteran centre Brooks Laich on waivers.
The Maple Leafs acquired the 33-year-old in a trade with Washington a year ago in a bid to have the 13-season veteran play a leadership role on a young, rebuilding team. Laich, however, has spent this season in the minors since being demoted in October. The three-time 20-goal-scorer missed two months because of an undisclosed injury and has a goal and five assists in 22 games with AHL Toronto.
On Monday, The Athletic online publication quoted Laich as saying he would prefer the opportunity to pursue winning a Stanley Cup championship with another team if the Maple Leafs don't consider him part of their plans this season.
Laich is in the final year of a contract that pays him a base salary of $4 million this season.