Leafs actually holding an important piece out of their lineup, even though he's completely healthy
Ryan O'Reilly was the centrepiece of a massive trade deadline for the Leafs. 6 new players joined the team while two roster players were sent packing. The 2019 Conn Smythe winner was fantastic in his first few games as a Leaf before a one timer from Auston Matthews caught him in the hand, breaking his finger. O'Reilly underwent surgery and has been rehabbing the injury over the past few weeks. Finally approaching full health, O'Reilly was on the ice both ahead of and after Leafs morning skate today. His extreme work ethic certainly left an impression on Sheldon Keefe.
All this time spent on the ice, and the fact that he's been shooting pucks well enough to beat goaltender Matt Murray one on one during drills tell me one thing. If the Leafs didn't have a comfortable lead over Tampa in the standings, O'Reilly would be in the lineup right now. The Leafs are taking advantage of the 5 point cushion they've earned over their Atlantic division rivals to ensure that O'Reilly's return to action only comes when he is 100% ready.
As for that return date, Keefe wouldn't say exactly when O'Reilly would be ready to return to game action. He did, however, say that provided there are no setbacks in his rehabilitation, O'Reilly should be a full practice participant on Friday. With any luck, the Leafs will have the former St Louis Blues captain back in the lineup sometime next week!
| POLL | ||
MARS 29 | 738 ANSWERS Leafs actually holding an important piece out of their lineup, even though he's completely healthy When should O'Reilly return to the lineup? | ||
| Only when he's 100% | 442 | 59.9 % |
| He needs a few games to get up to speed | 223 | 30.2 % |
| Now! Rub some dirt on it and get out there | 73 | 9.9 % |
| List of polls | ||
