The Toronto Maple Leafs took to the ice on Saturday without one of their top scorers. Mitch Marner was unavailable for the Leafs after colliding with Jake Muzzin at practice on Friday. Hockey insider Elliotte Friedman confirmed that Marner’s absence would carry over until Sunday when the Leafs play on the second night of their back-to-back against the Winnipeg Jets.
@FriedgeHNIC says Marner won't play tomorrow in Winnipeg either, but it's said to be precautionary.
— Lance Hornby (@sunhornby) December 5, 2021
Marner is fourth in team scoring, recording 21 points through Toronto’s first 24 games of the season. The 24-year-old leads the Leafs’ forwards corps in ice time, playing an average of 20:47 while skating on the team’s top line and powerplay unit.
Wayne Simmonds was promoted to the top line, skating next to Auston Matthews and Michael Bunting, Jason Spezza spending time on Toronto’s top powerplay unit.
The Leafs are locked in a tight battle with the Minnesota Wild on Saturday night and will have to travel up to Winnipeg for tomorrow’s contest against the Jets after the game. Check FanDuel Sportsbook for betting lines on both games.
