Major Development in Ryan O'Reilly's Recovery

Ryan O'Reilly, the centerpiece of a major trade deadline deal for the Leafs, has been working hard to recover from a broken finger sustained in his early games with the team. The 2019 Conn Smythe winner was injured when a one-timer shot from Auston Matthews hit his hand. After undergoing surgery, O'Reilly is now approaching full health.

Major Development in Ryan O'Reilly's Recovery

Leafs' head coach Sheldon Keefe was impressed by O'Reilly's extreme work ethic, commenting that the player spent nearly three hours on the ice during a recent morning skate. The fact that O'Reilly has been able to shoot pucks well enough to beat goaltender Matt Murray one-on-one during drills suggests that if the Leafs didn't have a comfortable lead over Tampa in the standings, O'Reilly would be playing already. However, the team is leveraging their 5-point cushion over their Atlantic Division rivals to ensure O'Reilly only returns to action when he's fully ready.

While Keefe didn't provide an exact return date for O'Reilly, he mentioned that, barring any setbacks in his rehabilitation, the forward should be a full practice participant on Friday. With some luck, the Leafs could have the former St. Louis Blues captain back in the lineup as early as next week!


As seen on Maple Leafs Insider - Leafs actually holding an important piece out of their lineup, even though he's completely healthy