The Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward did not finish the game after taking a puck to the hand toward the very end of the second period.
The Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward did not finish the game after taking a puck to the hand toward the very end of the second period.
VANCOUVER — The Toronto Maple Leafs need more time before disclosing the severity of Ryan O’Reilly’s apparent hand injury.
"It's serious enough that he wasn't able to return," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said of O'Reilly. "In terms of a timeline for him, we'll provide an update when we're back at it and have something for you then."
O'Reilly was the victim of some friendly fire as he tried to get out of the way of a shot from the slot by Auston Matthews.
It probably didn't help that Vancouver defenseman Quinn Hughes slashed at O'Reilly's injured hands moments after the veteran forward took the puck off the hand.
The Maple Leafs' acquisition of O'Reilly was their 'big name' get in a series of five treaded that saw many new players join the club ahead of their playoff run.
Certainly, the loss of O'Reilly would be a significant blow for a team that is still trying to find its chemistry with so much turnover in the depth of their roster.
"Obviously 'Factor' (O'Reilly's nickname) is a big part of what we've got going on here and brings a special element for us," Matthews said. "It was a big loss for us down to 10 forwards."
The Leafs went with 11 forwards and seven defensemen for the rest of the game. Matthews also missed a chunk of time in the game after taking a puck to the leg from Vancouver's Christian Wolanin.
Toronto acquire O'Reilly and forward Noel Acciari from the St. Louis Blues on Feb. 18 in exchange for first, second, third and fourth-round picks spanning the next three NHL Drafts, forward prospect Mikhael Abramov and forward Adam Gaudette. The 32-year-old O'Reilly has three goals and two assists in eight games since joining the Leafs.