Toronto Maple Leafs’ Mitch Marner out at least 4 weeks with ankle injury

Toronto Maple Leafs’ forward Mitch Marner will miss the first significant time of his career after a mid-game injury against the Philadelphia Flyers.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without forward Mitch Marner for at least four weeks due to an ankle injury, the team announced on Sunday night. Marner had an MRI on Sunday to determine the extent of his injury as the forward missed the team’s game against the Chicago Blackhawks, though no other information on the injury was given.

The earliest Marner would be able to return to the Maple Leafs’ lineup would be mid-December.

Marner was injured during Saturday evening’s game against the Philadelphia Flyers during a fluke play. On a face-off, Marner got tangled up with the stick of Flyers’ forward Carsen Twarynski, as Marner stepped on Twarynski’s stick in an attempt to chase after the play headed the other way.

Marner’s right leg and ankle bent awkwardly on his fall, causing the forward to have to scramble on his hands and knees to get to the bench, where he was immediately looked at by trainers. The forward went to the locker room and came back out a few moments later, but after trying to skate on his right leg in between breaks, Marner left the ice for the remainder of the evening.

The injury to Marner is another blow to the Maple Leafs, who have had key players John Tavares, Zach Hyman and Travis Dermott injured at various points this season. With the loss to the Flyers suffered on Saturday, the Maple Leafs record falls to 9-5-4 on the season as the team sits at second overall in the Atlantic.

This season, Marner has been an integral part of the Maple Leafs’ offense, with 18 points in 18 games for Toronto, and his 14 assists leads the team. The injury will be the first time Marner has missed regular season time since his rookie year in the 2016-17 season.