Maple Leafs assign Marshall Rifai to Toronto Marlies on conditioning loan

Marshall Rifai has been loaned to the Toronto Marlies on a conditioning loan, the Maple Leafs announced Thursday.

Rifai is gearing back up for action, after missing the start of the year due to a wrist injury sustained during a preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens. The defenceman underwent surgery in September, and has been skating with the Leafs throughout December in a regular jersey.

The 27-year-old recorded three goals and 13 points in 63 games with the Marlies last season. Rifai’s physicality, tenacity and ability to defend at the net-front are all qualities that head coach Craig Berube seeks from his defence corps, and he could be an asset for the Maple Leafs’ going forward, with Brandon Carlo out indefinitely.

“He had some games up with us last year and he worked so hard,”Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews said about Rifai during last year’s training camp. “You can just see he wants it and continues to progress, and I’ve been pretty impressed with him and the way he plays hard on both sides of the puck.”

Rifai has been on the verge of making an impact for the Maple Leafs, and many have lobbied for him to get a call-up, especially with a depleted blue line. The 27-year-old played two games for the Maple Leafs during the 2023-24 campaign. He signed a two-year extension with the Maple Leafs in September 2024, and his low-risk profile would translate well to a Maple Leafs’ team that has struggled to defend at 5-on-5 and off the rush this season.

The conditioning loan indicates that Rifai ought to be close to returning, and it’s possible he could be deployed Christmas. Toronto squares off against the Washington Capitals on Thursday, the first game of a three-game road trip, and it’s entirely possible he gets called up during this span.