- Kirill Marchenko is week-to-week with a lower-body injury after leaving Monday’s loss in Calgary
- The winger has 14 points in 14 games since arriving from Columbus
- Read below for the rest of the Leafs injury list and who is close to returning
The Maple Leafs will be without Kirill Marchenko for a while.
Toronto announced Wednesday that the winger is week-to-week with a lower-body injury. He left Monday’s 5-2 loss at the Calgary Flames in the second period after a hit from Yegor Sharangovich sent him awkwardly to the ice.
Marchenko actually played one more 14-second shift before heading to the room. We covered the injury Monday night, and this is the first real timeline. Take a look at the fall:
The loss stings because Marchenko has been one of the best things about Toronto’s start. The 26-year-old has six goals and eight assists in 14 games, third on the team in points. He has a point in 11 of those 14 games, including a hat trick in a 5-4 overtime loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Oct. 15.
Toronto landed him Sept. 28 in the trade that sent Matthew Knies to Columbus. Marchenko came over with Miles Wood and Elvis Merzlikins, and the Blue Jackets also got Steven Lorentz, Emil Andrae and a 2027 second-round pick.
Jack Roslovic was asked about how the Leafs fill the gap on the power play and in the lineup.
“It’s a guy you can’t really replace and obviously like I said, you try to replace it,” Roslovic said. “You know, guys got to step up and start to give a little extra.”
He also pointed out that Marchenko had not missed time until now, and the Leafs have been short on key pieces for a while. John Tavares has missed six games, Nick Blankenburg two and Marshall Rifai three, and all three remain week-to-week.
There is one bit of good news. Chris Tanev was upgraded to day-to-day after skating with the team, and Jim Hiller said there’s a chance he plays Saturday against the Vancouver Canucks. Forward Dakota Joshua was recalled from the Toronto Marlies on Wednesday.
The Leafs (7-5-2) visit the Seattle Kraken tonight at 10 p.m. ET without Marchenko.
