- Kirill Marchenko left Monday’s game against the Flames with a lower-body injury
- He had six goals and 14 points in 13 games for Toronto
- Read below for the video of the fall and what the Leafs are missing
The Maple Leafs lost Kirill Marchenko to a lower-body injury in Calgary on Monday night.
Toronto announced before the third period that the winger would not return. Marchenko went down in the second period after Flames forward Yegor Sharangovich hit him, and he fell awkwardly into the boards. The Leafs were down 3-0 at the time.
Here’s the fall:
Marchenko tried to come back. He took a 14-second shift after the fall, then turned around and headed straight down the tunnel. He finished with 7:05 of ice time over eight shifts.
There is no timeline yet, and the Leafs have not said how serious it is.
Toronto was already thin up front. John Tavares, Max Domi and Dakota Joshua are all out, along with defensemen Chris Tanev and Marshall Rifai.
Marchenko has been a big part of Toronto’s start since the Matthew Knies trade. He came over from Columbus on the eve of the season and entered Monday with six goals and 14 points in 13 games. That includes a hat trick against the Sabres on Oct. 15.
He has also been a fixture on the top power-play unit and has played on a line with William Nylander at 5-on-5. If he misses time, Gavin McKenna, who has eight points through 13 games, is the obvious candidate to move into the top six.
Toronto came in on a four-game winning streak and fought back to within a goal in the third period without Marchenko. Chayka is already on record about being open to another blockbuster, and a longer injury list will only add to that conversation.
Toronto plays next on Wednesday in Seattle.
