Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Marshall Rifai has been assigned to the AHL’s Toronto Marlies, the team confirmed Wednesday.

Rifai has not played for the Maple Leafs this season, functioning as the team’s No. 7 defenceman. The 26-year-old has recorded two goals and four points in 26 games with the Marlies.

He was most recently called up by the Maple Leafs on January 6, after Jake McCabe was placed on injured reserve. McCabe suffered an upper-body injury during a fight with Philadelphia Flyers forward Garnet Hathaway on January 5 and was placed on injured reserve.

McCabe is eligible to return from injured reserve and was skating in a normal capacity during Tuesday’s morning skate. It appears likely that McCabe will return imminently, and could be back for Thursday’s game against the New Jersey Devils, or Saturday’s contest against the Montreal Canadiens, although no formal designation has been made yet. McCabe is one of the Maple Leafs’ most valuable players and has recorded one goal and 11 points in 36 games this season, while posting a 53.4 percent share of the expected goals at 5-on-5 via Natural Stat Trick. It’s likely the Maple Leafs assigned Rifai to the Marlies, with the idea of bringing McCabe into the mix for Thursday or Saturday’s contest.

It’s possible Rifai could get called up again, and he’s clearly made a strong impression on the Maple Leafs through the year. Auston Matthews singled out Rifai as a player to watch during training camp, and he could potentially factor back into the lineup, if Simon Benoit and Conor Timmins continue to struggle on the team’s bottom pair. Rifai plays a physical game and his style of play has endeared himself to head coach Craig Berube and general manager Brad Treliving. He was signed to a two-year extension in September, and could be a regular contributor for the Maple Leafs down the line.