While the Maple Leafs may have taken a break with Ekman-Larsson, who appeared to make a decision during the game against the Edmonton Oilers despite the significant pain he was in when he was injured, Mermis’ injury will keep him on the shelf for a while. And while he won’t be a starter when the Leafs are fully healthy, being out of the lineup provides him with another depth option for the team as players like Chris Tanev and Brandon Carlo work their way back into game form. Regardless of whether Ekman-Larsson misses a game or not, it’s time for the Maple Leafs to give Marshall Rifai a chance.
Rifai himself has been on the shelf all season and has yet to play a game for the Maple Leafs or the Toronto Marlies. He underwent wrist surgery in training camp after an injury during a preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens that kept him out of action for the first few months of the season. Head coach Craig Berube provided a positive update on Rifai during practice on Friday, saying the 27-year-old defender is nearing a return.
Rifai may not have the NHL experience to prove it, but he plays the style of game that Berube and most head coaches appreciate. He is tough, works hard, is strong defensively and stands up for his teammates. He won’t bring much to the attack, but he’s not the type of player you’ll see the camera turning to after a bad goal against and you won’t hear his name that often. For a defenseman with limited NHL experience, this is a good thing.
Of course, dropping the gloves in a preseason game isn’t enough to warrant him getting playing time, and so it’s more of a secondary trait to his stout defensive play.
With Tanev and Carlo sidelined, the Leafs’ mainstays are Morgan Rielly, Jake McCabe, Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Troy Stecher. Lately, Berube seemed to enjoy playing Ekman-Larsson with Rielly and Stecher with McCabe, making Rifai a candidate for playing time alongside Simon Benoit, Philippe Myers and Henry Thrun. Benoit probably gets the immediate nod from other of these players simply because of the experience he has under his belt.
The eye test and analytics have shown that the Benoit-Myers pairing isn’t working, so Rifai should at least be ahead of Myers on the depth chart when fully healthy. At that point you could give both Thrun and Rifai a look and let the player who stands out the most run a bit to see if they can make something of it. And really, Benoit shouldn’t be exempt from a scratch every now and then if Rifai and Thrun both show they can play a reliable game.
Rifai has just two games of NHL experience and didn’t play in a game last year, but it’s always been a case of a glut of players. A 27-year-old player with no NHL experience will have a hard time securing a job over younger options or older players with more experience, but with the state of the Leafs’ defensive corps right now, Rifai is playing the type of low-event, minimal-risk game that could stabilize things a bit. There may not be room for him when he’s fully healthy, but he’s at least earned the chance to get a look and try to leave a lasting impression on his coaching staff.
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