Another Leafs Dman Absent From Practice; Should The Maple Leafs Be Concerned?

The Maple Leafs are very thin on the back end at the moment thanks to salary cap constraints and injuries. As such, 40-year-old blueliner Mark Giordano has been pressed into service in a bigger role with the team. In their last game against the Sabres, Giordano logged over 22 minutes of ice time, a season high. It was a big step up from his season average of just over 18 minutes.

Giordano Misses Practice

This morning, some Leafs fans began to freak out when they realized Giordano was not practicing with the team. Due to their inflexibility thanks to the salary cap, the team cannot afford another injury, especially one on defense. Luckily, head coach Sheldon Keefe updated us at the end of practice, stating that his absence was not injury related, rather he was given the day off to rest. Given his age and increased work load in recent games, it seems like a good move on Keefe's part to give his veteran the day off.

Leafs Thin On Defense

Connor Timmins and Timothy Liljegren remain out with long-term injuries. Jake McCabe remains day-to-day and could potentially be an option for the Leafs tomorrow. Even if McCabe returns to the lineup, Giordano will likely still play an elevated role for the time being.

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