BREAKING: Toronto Maple Leafs Adjust Lineup At Last Minute
The Toronto Maple Leafs have another big matchup tonight as they visit the Avalanche in Colorado. However, one defenseman that has been with the team will not be participating in the game after today's move.
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It is no secret that the Leafs have been thin on defense this year. Injuries have plagued the blueline and Mark Giordano can only play so many games at his age now. As such, the team has been forced to call upon some unlikely names, including 25-year-old Marshall Rifai. Rifai was never drafted and made his debut earlier this week with the Leafs at the age of 25, making him quite old for his first career game.
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The blueliner did reasonably well in his two-game stint with the Leafs in limited minutes. However, the team has since loaned him back to the Toronto Marlies for a game tonight.
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The team is expected to run with Tj Brodie, Morgan Reilly, and Simon Benoit on the left side tonight and Timothy Liljegren, William Lagesson and jake McCabe on the right side. Mark Giordano will likely be the 7th defenseman as he sits the game out. As such, the team has sent Rifai back to the Marlies.
Since this move is a loan, Rifai could find himself back with the big club shortly. In the meantime, he will likely bounce between the NHL and AHL levels as the Leafs continue to look for solutions on the backend.
| POLL | ||
24 FEVRIER | 420 ANSWERS BREAKING: Toronto Maple Leafs Adjust Lineup At Last Minute Do you think Rifai could be a legitimate NHL player next season? | ||
| Yes | 286 | 68.1 % |
| No | 134 | 31.9 % |
| LIST OF POLLS | ||
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