The mysterious ailment that has been affecting Mitch Marner since the 7th of March has finally been revealed and it's not good news for the player, team or the fans. The superstar forward was diagnosed with a high-ankle sprain, according to TSN hockey insider Darren Dreger.
They got a second opinion to make sure it's being managed correctly. [Marner] hasn't been on the ice this week so I don't suspect he'll be ready to go Saturday. But it's possible. They're not ruling him out. But they do want to make sure that they do take the time necessary to make sure that he gets the treatment that he needs."
Marner suffered the injury during Toronto's 4-1 loss to Boston last week. He missed their following game against Montreal and has been ruled out for tonight's contest against Philadelphia. Dreger intimated that the Maple Leafs are optimistic in the sense that he could return as soon as Saturday but they will err on the side of caution with the playoffs just around the corner.
That means that load management will come into play and the Leafs will look to make sure that his ankle is in tip-top shape before he touches the ice for game action. High ankle sprains can sometimes take 4-6 weeks or longer to heal, and while the Leafs believe it's a minor issue, that could still mean 1-2 weeks at the minimum.
In the meantime, the Maple Leafs will look to players like Tyler Bertuzzi to step up and help the core players in Auston Matthews and William Nylander on the offensive side of the game. Bertuzzi will once again take his mantle on the first line alongside Matthews and Calle Jarnkrok against the Flyers.
