Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Oliver Ekman-Larsson was absent from Friday’s practice and will miss Saturday’s game against the Montreal Canadiens, head coach Craig Berube confirmed.

Ekman-Larsson has been listed as day-to-day. The 33-year-old played a team-high 25:14 during the Maple Leafs’ 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning, taking 38 shifts. Ekman-Larsson has been a durable presence throughout the season, recording four goals and 29 points in 77 games.

As a result of Ekman-Larsson’s injury, the Maple Leafs will play with five defenceman on Saturday. Jake McCabe was also ruled out for Saturday’s game against the Canadiens, and Sunday’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes. McCabe is expected to return for the end of the regular season.

Jani Hakanpaa participated in practice and slotted onto the third pair with Philippe Myers, while Simon Benoit was elevated alongside Chris Tanev, and the Morgan Rielly-Brandon Carlo pairing remained intact. It would be nearly impossible to add Hakanpaa back onto the roster due to roster and salary cap restrictions.

Ekman-Larsson has primarily played with Tanev, during McCabe’s injury-related absence.

Hakanpaa remains on long-term injured reserve (LTIR) and it appears unlikely that he would be a realistic option during the regular season.

Jake McCabe and David Kampf both haven’t played since an April 2 victory over the Florida Panthers. McCabe was seen heading to the dressing room during the final minute of the game, but the nature of his injury hasn’t been disclosed. He’s been essential to the Maple Leafs as their best point-of-attack defender, while recording two goals and 23 points in 66 games this season. Kampf has recorded five goals and 13 points in 59 games, while providing value to the penalty kill.

Berube kept the forward combinations intact from Wednesday’s victory, while Max Pacioretty received some reps as an alternate. Pacioretty is working his way back from injury and Berube will have to figure out who the odd man out will be ahead of the playoffs. Toronto’s Core Four, along with Bobby McMann, Max Domi, Scottt Laughton and Steven Lorentz have safely clinched their spots in the lineup, but Berube could otherwise experiment during the final games of the regular season.