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TSN Toronto Maple Leafs Reporter

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TORONTO – The Maple Leafs could be getting defenceman Morgan Rielly back from a broken foot for Tuesday night’s matchup against the Tampa Bay Lightning, an addition that would boost the sagging team after last week’s winless road trip through California.

“[Rielly’s] impact on the ice speaks for itself, but the biggest thing for me, at this time of year especially, is just [having] his voice and his presence around the team in the locker room and on the bench,” said Leafs’ head coach Sheldon Keefe after the team’s practice on Monday.

“We don't have a lot of guys that I would say are really the vocal ones, to kind of push you and get you going. Rielly and [Jake] Muzzin are the two guys that are the most vocal for us and they keep it light and keep everyone loose and relaxed and I think that's important.”

Keefe said he’s “optimistic” that Rielly, who was injured against the Florida Panthers on Jan. 12, will be available Tuesday after the 26-year-old practised on a regular pairing Monday alongside Cody Ceci and was back quarterbacking the team’s second power-play unit.

Toronto will make a decision on Rielly’s status after seeing how he responds to the Monday’s practice, but Rielly knows he’s close.

“I'm not sure yet [about Tuesday], but I'd like that to be the case,” he said. “Regardless, it’s just a matter of time. I feel good; it was a good break. Obviously it's not the way you want to rest, but it is what it is. I was doing what I can to get healthy and I feel good now so, we’ll be back soon.”

Since Rielly went down eight weeks ago, the Leafs have also had to weather injuries to Ceci (who missed a month with an ankle problem) and Muzzin (out at least a couple more weeks with a broken hand), forcing Keefe to patch together a blueline that has desperately missed its top-pairing player in Rielly.

“The type of player [Rielly] is, he's a game-changer,” said captain John Tavares. “Everything he brings to the table – in the locker room, the way he prepares, to his impact in all three zones, how much he just leads with his play and how hard he competes and his consistency that he plays with. There’s no question he’s a huge part of our lineup and it’s going to be great to have him back.”

While Rielly hasn’t touched the career-high offensive totals (72 points) he was racking up a year ago, he’s been steady throughout the season, with 27 points (three goals, 24 assists) in 46 games. The time away has only made him hungrier to produce, particularly in the face of Toronto’s recent skid.

After winning three straight games to end February, the Leafs travelled west only to watch their offence evaporate. The team earned just one of a possible six points in California, scoring three goals in three games.

“You’d like to think that all of us want [to be productive], want to bring more to the table and really contribute a bit more down the stretch,” Rielly said. “For me, not being around the past eight weeks or so, it makes that fire burn a little more and makes you want to come back and really have an impact and be a difference-maker. But the most important thing is that as a team we play in a way that can be successful in the long term and we're aware of how to do that.”

To that end, Keefe made a few changes to the lines at Monday’s practice, dropping Mitch Marner back onto a unit with Tavares and Kasperi Kapanen, while shifting William Nylander onto a line with Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman.

The tweaks come at a crucial juncture for the Leafs, with only 13 regular-season games remaining and a thin three-point cushion on the Panthers (who also hold a game in hand) for third place in the Atlantic Division.

“Our guys know what's at stake, but they're a little confused themselves in terms of why we've been so hot and cold,” explained Keefe. “We're looking to be able to replicate more of what we've done when things have gone well, which starts and ends really with just how engaged we are and how we work and how competitive we are in all situations. When we do that it's amazing how all these things fall into place.”

If Rielly has his way, he’ll be back on the front lines Tuesday to help turn things around. Like the rest of the Leafs, Rielly has been taxed mentally by the recent dip in team performance – and his inability to contribute – but plans to channel the positivity he received during the rehab process into a successful return.

“This group of staff really do a good job of making you feel good about yourself when you're going through those hard times,” Rielly said. “When you're hopping around in a cast and the team is on the road, I think they do a good job of bringing a good attitude. And being with [injured forward] Ilya [Mikheyev] was great; he's a great person and it was a good opportunity for us to work together. [Everyone has done] a great job of just taking care of us and making sure that we’re ready.”​