Maple Leafs take two stars out of their lineup at the last minute

Morgan Rielly and Chris Tanev are both out of the lineup Sunday night against the New Jersey Devils, with Cole McWard and Dakota Mermis drawing in, according to TSN's Mark Masters.

Rielly is dealing with a lower-body injury suffered in Saturday's 4-2 loss to the Montreal Canadiens. He played only about five minutes before leaving the game and never returned.

There was no clear moment where he appeared to get hurt, which made the situation tougher to read. Toronto has not offered a timeline, and head coach Jim Hiller called the loss a big blow.

Tanev's absence is listed as planned maintenance rather than a fresh injury, a cautious approach given his health history.

Even so, losing both defensemen at once stretches a back end that is already missing Nick Blankenburg and Marshall Rifai, who are both on injured reserve.

McWard was recalled from the Toronto Marlies on Sunday morning, with forward Vinni Lettieri sent down in the corresponding move.

The 25-year-old right-shot defenseman signed with the Leafs this past summer after stops in the Canucks and Islanders organizations.

Now in the lineup, he is set to make his Maple Leafs debut in just the 10th NHL game of his career.

Mermis, 32, has appeared in three games this season and won the Calder Cup with the Marlies last year. He is expected to see bottom-pair minutes, while Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson absorb extra time on the ice.

The timing is rough. Toronto is 1-4-0 in its last five games and 0-3-1 against the Atlantic Division this season. John Tavares returned Saturday and played 21:06, but the Leafs still fell short against Montreal.

Rielly's status beyond tonight remains unclear, and more roster moves could follow if the injury turns out to be long term. Fans will be watching closely to see how the depth defensemen handle the pressure of a pivotal home game.

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