Craig Berube Drops Tough Injury News on Maple Leafs Rookie Defenseman

During the Maple Leafs preseason game agains the Canadiens on Thursday, defenseman Marshall Rifai was slotted in the lineup as he tried to finally earn a spot with the team after years of being with the Marlies.

It didn't go so hot for the defender, as he was injured during the game and forced him out of the contest for the rest of the night.

Unfortunately for Rifai, it sounds like he is going to be out quite a while.

According to head coach Craig Berube, Rifai is expected to undergo surgery and will be out for the foreseeable future.

It's the worst possible news for the blueliner as he seems to hit a roadblock every time he tends to get close to making the Maple Leafs.

Rifai, 27, has only appeared in two games for the team since being signed out of Harvard University after a solid collegiate career.

He has appeared in 189 games for the Marlies, registering only 32 points (5 goals, 27 assists) and has seemingly never found his footing beyond the AHL level.

In years past, Rifai may have had a better shot at making the team however with the massive logjam on the back end as they have veterans locked up long term, and more interesting or reliable prospects like Ben Danford.

Look to guys like John Prokop, Cade Webber, William Villeneuve, Noah Chadwick, Matt Benning, Ryan McCleary, and Dakota Mermis to carry the load without Rifai and with a great mix of youth and veteran talent the team is in good hands.

There is no definitive timeline for Rifai's return, and in the meantime the only thing that matters is that he is able to recover quickly and get back to the ice in due time.

Hopefully this looming surgery isn't too big of a setback for Rifai, whose NHL dream is becoming less and less of a reality as the years pass.

But thankfully the Marlies and Maple Leafs are going to be alright without him, as Brad Treliving's depth signings need to start paying off early on.