Tanev and Rielly will each be out of the Maple Leafs' lineup on Friday with an injury.
For the first time this season, two of the Toronto Maple Leafs' top defensemen will be out of the lineup.
Maple Leafs head coach Craig Berube revealed on Friday morning, hours ahead of their first of back-to-back games against the Buffalo Sabres, that Morgan Rielly would be out of the lineup with an injury.
Rielly skated briefly before Toronto's practice on Thursday. Berube said following the skate that the defenseman had been dealing with something, which he picked up against the New Jersey Devils on Tuesday.
The 31-year-old skated again on Friday in Buffalo during the team's optional morning skate.
"Yeah, possible [he plays on Saturday against the Sabres]," Berube said. "We'll see how he does today."
Philippe Myers and Dakota Mermis will make their season debuts with Toronto inside Key Benk Center on Friday evening. Mermis was called up to the Maple Leafs on Friday after Toronto placed Chris Tanev on injured reserve, retroactive to Oct. 21 against the Devils.
Going on IR means Tanev will miss seven days, which, in the Maple Leafs' schedule, is a minimum of three games (against the Buffalo Sabres on Friday and Saturday, plus against the Calgary Flames on Tuesday).
"Yeah, it's huge (loss) for sure," Jake McCabe said on Friday morning of the loss of Tanev. "
"He's a leader on this team in more ways than one. Just not only with how he plays and his voice in the room. Been around the game a long time and obviously we all know how hard Chris plays, so it's up to the rest of us, collectively, to bring that attitude to the rink tonight and shift after shift just like Tanny does."
This is how the Maple Leafs defense pairings shaped out in practice on Thursday:
Jake McCabe - Brandon Carlo
Dakota Mermis - Oliver Ekman-Larsson
Simon Benoit - Philippe Myers
These pairings are likely to change. Rielly left the ice before Thursday's practice began, and line rushes were likely created before knowing Rielly would be out.
Tanev and Rielly are critical pieces of the Maple Leafs' defense core. Rielly has led the charge offensively on the back-end, scoring two goals and four assists in the first seven games of the season. Tanev has one assist, eight shot blocks, and is averaging 17:42 of ice time through seven games.
"Well, we all gotta help out, right?" Berube said on Friday, when asked what the key is to handling two of your top defensemen exiting the lineup.
"I mean, simplify your game and Buffalo's good offensive team. They're a good rush team, so they got a lot of skill. But guys are going to have to help out, five-man units, and simplify the game."
Where to Watch
If you're looking to watch the Maple Leafs in Ontario, (simultaneously with Game 1 of the World Series between the Toronto Blue Jays and Los Angeles Dodgers), you can catch the game on Sportsnet Ontario. In the United States, the game will stream on ESPN+.
The rest of the world can find the matchup on DAZN.
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