The Maple Leafs added another player to the injured reserve as Colton Sissons has been placed retroactively as injuries continue to mount for Toronto.
As the Maple Leafs face a four-game losing streak, they are once again looking to take the ice against a tough opponent after being taken down 6-3 by the Avalanche on Tuesday. Minnesota is up next and things aren't going to be easy as questions start to emerge.
Sissons on the IR as Maple Leafs roster continues to thin
They're also going to be without one of their key penalty killers and top defensive forwards for the foreseeable future, as the team placed Colton Sissons on the IR retroactive to Nov. 8:
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Sissons was injured in Toronto's game against the New Jersey Devils and the team subsequently gave him a week-to-week diagnosis. Now with him on the IR, it's definitive that he's going to be out for at least a few weeks depending on the nature of the injury.
Sissons, 33, has six points in 19 games this season while being one of the most physical and effective bottom-six forwards for Toronto.
He's winning face-offs at nearly a 60% rate, he's got 38 hits (second on the team) and has been effective at keeping the puck and generating chances.
Losing him though is tough for the Maple Leafs, who are already pretty thin defensively and are now down one of their best forwards who can assist with that - so everyone needs to pick up the slack.
Toronto's bottom-six needs to help cover the loss of Sissons
This means it's time for the guys like Nick Paul, Teddy Blueger, and Brandon Duhaime to be better and do a little bit more to cover for the loss of Sissons.
The team did recall Brendan Brisson from the AHL and do also have Ryan Tverberg on the roster so it's unknown who is going to take over for Sissons, but they need to make sure they play up to snuff or Toronto is going to be in trouble.
No one is under more pressure though than Gavin McKenna. If he's still on the third line, then he is going to have to make sure that he plays a better defensive game and not just let Nick Paul do all the heavy lifting.
That means he needs to be smarter on puck clearances, transition passes, and has to be willing to get into the dirty areas and get knocked around a bit. If he can do that, then Toronto will at least be in a better spot than they would be without it.
But Sissons being out is going to be a detriment regardless of who comes in to replace him, so let's hope the rest of the team can pick up the slack.
Do you think that Colton Sissons' absence is going to make the Maple Leafs worse?
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