The Toronto Maple Leafs are having to deal with another key injury to their roster, as Morgan Rielly left Saturday night's game early with an upper-body injury. There is no timeline for the injury as Craig Berube was not able to provide an update post-game. Things have gone from bad to worse for the Leafs' star defenceman this season with this most recent injury update.
The Maple Leafs defence core will take a hit from Rielly's absence. Rielly has been under high criticism as of late for his play, but Rielly in the lineup is still much better than one of their depth defenceman that has been a healthy scratch. The Leafs will likely slide Dakota Mermis, Philippe Myers, or Marshall Rifai in the lineup during Rielly's absence. The Leafs will need one of these players to step up and play serviceable minutes, while adding some offensive touch in replacement for Rielly.
D Morgan Rielly will not return to tonight’s game (upper body).
— Leafs PR (@LeafsPR) February 1, 2026
Morgan Rielly's season struggles
This may be what Rielly needs to get his season back on track. While dealing with an injury is never easy, taking a break from the team and playing could get Rielly back on the right track. The Leafs will need Rielly playing at his best if they want any chance of getting back within the playoff circle. The Leafs have a tall mountain to climb chasing the Boston Bruins for the final wild card spot by eight points with 27 games remaining. Heading into last night's contest against the Canucks, Rielly has posted seven goals and 24 assists for 31 points in 54 games this season. His offensive production this season has not been bad by any means, but he is a complete liability on the defensive side of the puck. He makes countless errors that end up biting the Maple Leafs late in games. This is shown through his plus/minus. Rielly is a -17 on the season, racking up one of the worst campaigns of his career.
It may be time to explore trade options with the Vancouver native. He has a no-movement clause, which could hold the Maple Leafs back, but they at least need to have the initial conversation with Rielly on what their plans are for the future. The Maple Leafs are set to continue their road trip on Monday against the Calgary Flames. We will likely get an update on Rielly before the matchup on whether he is good to go or not.