The Maple Leafs Could Lose Morgan Rielly

During an interview with Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, Morgan Rielly admitted that he has been playing the first half of the season with an undisclosed lower body injury. He has yet to miss a game and is on pace to reach a respectable 47 points. However, this is a significant decline from last season's 72 points, which may be attributed to the aforesaid injury. This nagging issue has the potential to further hinder his on-ice performance. Could this be the beginning of the end of Morgan Rielly's regular season?

Rielly reportedly underwent multiple MRI's which revealed there is not significant damage to his lower body. Moreover, the pain and discomfort he has played with this season is not a result of a specific injury. Rather, it is 'normal wear and tear' that builds up over time.

"I mean, I feel healthy. And there were times earlier when that wasn't always the case. But I think right now it's just focusing on little things and playing within the structure and making sure you put certain things way before yourself. That's about trying to lean toward that thing where the team just gets rolling." - Morgan Rielly

Rielly is still leading the team with an average ice time of 24:19 per game, but this could possibly take its toll on the 25 year old defenseman. He is in a position where he can 'tough it out' and focus on pain management, but if at any point he begins to regress, the Maple Leafs could lose an integral member of their team.