Blue line injuries pop up as Maple Leafs get set to host the Devils for the first time this season

It has taken a lot longer than many expected, but for the first time tonight, the Toronto Maple Leafs and New Jersey Devils will take on one another as both teams continue their final stretch of the regular season.

The Maple Leafs have been dealing with many different injuries and illnesses on forward and defence for the past couple of weeks. And, as they get ready to host the Devils tonight, they’ll be without another regular blue liner and could be without a second one.

According to Sheldon Keefe’s post-practice presser this morning, defenseman Joel Edmundson is day-to-day with an injury, and there’s a chance the 30-year-old blue-liner won’t play this week at all.

The blue line just got Ilya Lyubushkin and Conor Timmins back from illness. But now, it takes another hit after losing the newly acquired Edmundson for tonight and likely the following two games against the Washington Capitals on Thursday night and the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday night.

But Keefe didn’t stop there. Edmundson wasn’t the only defenseman absent from morning skate. Morgan Rielly wasn’t seen on the ice, and Keefe had an update for the longest-tenured Toronto Maple Leaf, stating that he, as well, is dealing with an injury. But fortunately, Rielly is listed as a game-time decision after the head coach said he hasn’t been ruled out entirely for tonight’s contest.

Despite the new injury news about two of Toronto’s regular defensemen, Keefe did have a positive update on Mitch Marner, who has been sidelined with a high-ankle sprain.

After being called “day-to-day” from being “day-to-day”, Mitch Marner is officially listed as day-to-day, and according to Mark Masters’ post above, there is a possibility the winger will take part in practice tomorrow.

Tyler Bertuzzi – Auston Matthews – Max Domi

Bobby McMann – John Tavares – William Nylander

Matthew Knies – Pontus Holmberg – Nick Robertson

Connor Dewar – David Kampf – Noah Gregor

Jake McCabe – Timothy Liljegren

TJ Brodie – Ilya Lyubushkin

Simon Benoit – Conor Timmins

One lineup note: Without Edmundson and the potential to be without Rielly, the blue line will look slightly different and feature some new-look pairings again. If Rielly cannot go, it seems the Benoit-McCabe pairing will be broken up, moving McCabe to the top pair with Liljegren and having Benoit alongside Timmins on the third pair. Lyubushkin, who has been Rielly’s partner, could be playing on the second pair with Rielly’s old partner, Brodie.

Timo Meier – Nico Hischier – Jesper Bratt

Jack Hughes – Erik Haula – Alexander Holtz

Ondrej Palat – Tomas Nosek – Dawson Mercer

Maxwell Willman – Chris Tierney – Curtis Lazar

Kevin Bahl – John Marino

Luke Hughes – Nick DeSimone

Brendan Smith – Simon Nemec

Joseph Woll (TOR) vs Jake Allen (NJ)

After starting in Carolina on Sunday night, posting a 41-save performance in a narrow 2-1 loss, Joseph Woll has been confirmed as tonight’s starter, with Martin Jones on the bench to back him up.

TSN4, 7:30 pm ET/4:30 pm PT

(Stats from hockey-reference.com)

(Projected lineups from dailyfaceoff.com)