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Maple Leafs not the only club ravaged by absences as Marlies announce 3 players sidelined
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Toronto Marlies suddenly look a lot like the battered Toronto Maple Leafs, and that overlap should worry everyone watching this organization.
The Marlies are having a tough go of it right now, experiencing a lot of the same issues that the Leafs are currently experiencing, with the team showing an inability to stay healthy.
Matt Benning, who brought 10 seasons of NHL experience to a young Marlies blue line, is out day to day with a lower body issue. His calm puck movement usually helps settle the first breakout, and his absence forces younger defenders into tougher minutes. He will be missed.
Unfortunately for the Marlies, Henry Thrun is also unavailable, listed day to day with an illness after logging steady top four usage since arriving from San Jose. The Marlies rely on his controlled exits, and without him, their transition game tends to sag under pressure.
The real drag for the Marlies is that feisty forward Landon Sim, drafted in the sixth round by St Louis in 2023 and only 20 years old, is out week to week with a lower body injury.
Toronto Marlies mirror Maple Leafs' struggles
Fans already frustrated by the Maple Leafs injury wave see the same pattern sinking the Marlies' momentum, and that feeling shows up in every game thread. Losing three regulars at once forces constant line juggling, which disrupts chemistry in all three zones.
Depth becomes a concern faster in the AHL, where development minutes often trump pure results. Benning's 464 career NHL games normally anchor the defensive structure, but without him, the Marlies struggle to keep chances to the outside.
The penalty kill also risks slipping. Thrun logs heavy shorthanded work, and his reads limit slot chances. With him out, the coaching staff must either overload veterans or push prospects into roles they have not yet mastered.
The Marlies confirmed all three absences on Tuesday through their official social account.
All of this leaves the Marlies juggling structure instead of building it. If the injuries linger, the organization's depth will be tested at both NHL and AHL levels, and the next stretch becomes a real challenge rather than a bump.
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