Marner skates, but won’t return Thursday

Kristen Shilton

TSN Toronto Maple Leafs Reporter

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TORONTO – He’s not ready to return for the Maple Leafs just yet, but Mitch Marner is taking positive steps towards getting back in the lineup.

Marner joined Alexey Marchenko, Martin Marincin, Ben Smith and Curtis McElhinney in a light shootaround Wednesday morning at MasterCard Centre as he works his way back from an apparent shoulder injury suffered Feb. 15.

The rookie went through a number of drills over the 45-minute workout, and was firing shots on net without looking encumbered. He’s missed Toronto’s last three games, with the team posting a 2-1-0 record without him.

Despite appearing to make some progress, head coach Mike Babcock confirmed he will not suit up Thursday against the New York Rangers.

On injured reserve now and listed as day-to-day, Marner could return Saturday at home against the Montreal Canadiens.

Kadri “not worried” about Chiarot’s threat

In the second period of Tuesday’s game against the Winnipeg Jets, Nazem Kadri launched into Jets’ defender Ben Chiarot so hard he ended up in Toronto’s bench, while Chiarot fell hard to the ice. There was no call on the play, and Chiarot didn’t chase after Kadri looking for revenge, but he certainly won’t be forgetting it any time soon.

“That’s not the right time of place to chase him down,” Chiarot explained after the game. “But there will be a time down the line – might not be this year, might not be next year – but there will be a time when the shoe will be on the other foot.”

Kadri didn’t meet with the media Tuesday night, but Wednesday afternoon he went through the play from his perspective.

“I just saw him turn up the wall and he kind of got away from [Matt Martin] and had his head down a little bit. I just tried to finish my check,” he said. “Just on contact, that’s where I got caught off my feet. He’s a pretty big boy, so that’s initially the reason why I kind of popped into our bench. It’s a tough game, and obviously no one enjoys getting hit like that, but it’s going to happen.”

Kadri laughed off any concern about retribution.

“That’s not the first time I’ve heard that, that’s for sure,” he said. “I’m not worried at all. I’ll be here for hopefully a few [more] years. But if that was one of my teammates getting hit like that I probably wouldn’t be too happy, so I expected that kind of reaction.”

Matthews’ bank shot still causing a stir

Looking for the game-tying goal in the third period on Tuesday, Auston Matthews saw an opportunity unfolding on the power play. With no lane to shoot from, he fired a puck in the direction of the Jets’ net that ricocheted off the end boards and right to William Nylander, who managed to whack the still-spinning puck into the net.

Matthews said after the game he was 50 per cent trying to hit the net, 50 per cent just trying to make something happen, but it wasn’t a totally random attempt. Months ago, he and Nylander had fooled around with the concept of the play at practice, albeit without a goalie in the net. It worked then, so the fact they connected again in-game wasn’t completely surprising – except to teammates who don’t believe Matthews made the shot on purpose.

“No, he didn’t [mean to]. I know he didn’t,” Morgan Rielly said.

Kadri concurred, saying, “He might tell you [it was on purpose], but I think it was just a lucky bounce for him.”

Matthews acknowledged it had never occurred to him to try the play in a game before Tuesday, and reiterated he also found the goal fortuitous, while taking his teammates’ barbs in stride.

“I know it was Morgan who was saying all that stuff, he already told me,” Matthews said, grinning. “It’s one of those things where once in a million times it happens to work out perfectly,” he said.

Carrick “day-to-day” with upper-body injury

He missed all but the first 11 minutes of Tuesday’s game, and Connor Carrick stands to miss a few more. After taking a hit to the shoulder in the first period that immediately hobbled him, the defenceman was unable to return to the game and was listed as day-to-day by Babcock.

That opens the door for Marchenko to get his first opportunity to play for the Leafs, beginning Thursday against the Rangers. Claimed from the Detroit Red Wings on Feb. 4, Marchenko has a history with Babcock. He was drafted in the seventh round (205^th overall) in 2011 by the Red Wings while Babcock was still the coach.

Marchenko has been biding his time getting up to speed in the Maple Leafs’ system, and has looked crisp in morning skates and practices. A big body (6-foot-3, 210 pounds) with a good first pass, he projects to slide in next to Jake Gardiner on Toronto’s second pairing.

Laich clears waivers – again

For the second time this season, veteran forward Brooks Laich has gone through waivers without being picked up, and will remain with the Toronto Marlies.