Keefe makes an important announcement regarding the injured Morgan Rielly

In his response, Keefe noted that Rielly is close to on-ice activities but still far away from returning to the lineup. Rielly suffered a knee injury on November 21st in a 3-2 overtime loss against the New York Islanders. Rielly was put on LTIR and was expected to miss at least 4-6 weeks.

Technically speaking, Rielly would be eligible to suit up this upcoming Saturday, December 17th, against the Washington Capitals, having already met the minimum requirement to return after being placed on LTIR (10 games and 24 days). As he has yet to get back to any on-ice workouts, he most likely will return at a later date and, as Keefe mentioned, is still a ways away from cracking the lineup.

The Buds are certainly taking their time in bringing back their star defenseman. As we approach the midway point of December, the Leafs' blueline is slowly returning to full strength. Since Rielly's injury, the Leafs are 9-0-1 and are now riding a 15-game point streak.

With Rielly sidelined, the Leafs have managed to find stability through the return of the reliable T.J. Brodie and the addition of young defensemen Conor Timmins and Mac Hollowell. Also, the exceptional play of Rasmus Sandin and Timothy Liljegren has allowed the Leafs to really take their time to ensure that Rielly will be coming back at 100%. The Leafs have allowed just 16 goals and accounted for three shutouts in the last four games, so it's safe to say the current group has exceeded all expectations.

Before his injury, Rielly was off to a tremendous start in his tenth season with the club. He tallied 16 assists and led the team in minutes per game, with over 23:00 on average in 20 games.

Credit: hockeydb.com