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Maple Leafs place defenseman on waivers
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs made another roster move on Sunday as they placed defenseman Marshall Rifai on waivers as they look to send him to the AHL.
The NHL roster freeze is over which means that teams can now use the waiver wire once again, and it didn't take long for teams to get started.
On Sunday it was announced that five players had been placed on waivers by their respective clubs with one of them including Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Marshall Rifai:
The rest of the names who were waived include Ethan Bear, Danton Heinen, Juuso Valimaki, and Noah Philp; David Tomasek was waived but with a contract termination in mind so he can head back to Sweden.
Marshall Rifai's quiet start to Maple Leafs career beset by injuries
Rifai has been recovering from wrist surgery and has been skating during team practices, but has not been cleared yet for game action. With him being waived, he will likely go unclaimed and then head back to the Marlies and get back in with them.
Toronto also made a move earlier in the day by demoting defenseman Henry Thrun to the AHL, as it looks like the team is going to have enough bodies with Brandon Carlo's imminent return and Simon Benoit still available.
Rifai, 24, has 35 points in 126 games with the Marlies so far in his career, but has been sidelined with injuries; Toronto signed Rifai out of Harvard in 2022. Rifai has played two games with the Maple Leafs but recorded no points.
Teams will have 24 hours to claim Rifai if they so choose to, otherwise he will head back to the Marlies and presumably work his way back into the lineup there. His return could be a huge plus considering the Marlies are also dealing with injuries as well.
If Rifai can get healthy and put in a strong performance with the Marlies, he could very well make a case for a call-up the next time Toronto needs some reinforcements.