O'Reilly shares details of gruesome finger injury
Ryan O'Reilly has been sidelined with a broken finger since the 4th of March in a game against the Vancouver Canucks. He was hit by an Auston Matthews shot and after undergoing successful surgery, he was given a 4-week timeline to return.
O'Reilly seems set to return somewhere around that 4-week timeline with the Toronto Maple Leafs facing off against the Columbus Blue Jackets on the 4th of April and the Boston Bruins on the 6th. O'Reilly was the key acquisition for the Maple Leafs ahead of the trade deadline and suited up in 8 games before succumbing to the injury.
While the Maple Leafs were on their lengthy road-trip, O'Reilly was skating on his own in Toronto. He joined the team at the end of the road-trip, was practicing on his own and firing shots towards the net, and today was seen practicing with the team in a red sweater. His return is imminent, he intimated that he is not yet at 100%, but he is very close and doesn't want to rush things.
He described his injury in that he didn't realize how bad it actually was until he went back in the locker room and saw that his finger was "crooked". Matthews' slap-shot hit him flush on the finger as he was parked right in front of the net. He finished the shift but did not return after he went down the tunnel.
With the regular season on it's last legs, the Maple Leafs are hoping they can get O'Reilly in some games before the playoffs start but want to be cautious. He is very close, he doesn't want to rush things, and says that he wants to be smart about the injury.
The last thing the Leafs would want or need at this moment in time would be for a return too soon and a re-injury to occur with home-ice almost assuredly clinched.
