Injury Confirmed for Leafs Rookie Jacob Quillan Following Knee-on-Knee Hit from Nick Cousins

The 22-year-old Quillan signed a two-year deal with the Leafs last April after a very successful stint at Quinnipiac University that included beating fellow Leaf Matthew Knies and his former University of Minnesota Golden Gophers in the 2023 NCAA Championship.

It didn't take long for the undrafted forward to make his NHL debut. Unfortunately, he appears destined for a stint on the sidelines after he was injured in a knee-on-knee collision with Senators forward Nick Cousins on Saturday. Although he remained in the game, he saw just 5:21 of ice-time, likely due in part to the injury.

Quillan did not skate on Monday and was forced to miss the Leafs' annual outdoor practice, but did appear on the ice on Tuesday with the rest of the injured Leafs.

The Dartmouth, Nova Scotia native did not participate in practice, but skated with the likes of John Tavares, Calle Jarnkrok and Matthew Knies beforehand.

The fact that Quillan returned to the ice on Tuesday could indicate that his injury isn't considered serious and looked far worse than it actually is.

The Leafs have been overly cautious with injured players this season, which is not a bad thing, but it also means that Quillan may not return to the lineup at all, as the team continues to get healthier. It appears more likely at this point that he'll be sent back down to the Marlies.

The 6-foot, 200-pound center has had a fairly good rookie season with the Marlies, posting 6 goals and 15 points in 35 games for the Maple Leafs' AHL affiliate.