Rielly missed Saturday's contest against the rival Ottawa Senators, and he'll also be sidelined for upcoming contests against Colorado, Chicago, and Dallas. The three games will be followed by a five-day break for the All-Star Game.
Players must remain on the injured reserve for a minimum of seven days, meaning Rielly could return as soon as Jan. 31, versus the New York Islanders.
It's a key loss for the Maple Leafs, as the team relies on Rielly for more than 22 minutes a game. Through 47 games, he has five goals and 26 assists.
In Rielly's place, blue-liner Rinat Valiev has been recalled from the AHL's Toronto Marlies.
The NHL's annual display of skill will look a little different this time around.
Several changes are on tap for Saturday's All-Star Skill Competition in Tampa Bay.
There will be six events during the skills portion of the All-Star festivities, including two new ones. Here are the descriptions from the league:
Save Streak
"Five goalies and all 36 skaters will participate in the NHL Save Streak, a shootout grouped by division where goalies compete to make the most consecutive saves. Each goalie will face one opposing division and a minimum of nine scoring attempts.
"Each scoring attempt is officiated in accordance with NHL shootout rules and begins on the referee’s whistle. Players from each division will shoot in numerical order, lowest to highest, with the divisional captain shooting ninth. A goalie’s round at the NHL Save Streak cannot end with a save - if the divisional captain’s shot is saved, the goalie will continue to face shooters until a goal is scored.
"If the goalie makes a save on the divisional captain’s shot, the order of shooters to follow is the same as at the original order. The goalie with the longest consecutive save streak during his time in net is the winner of the NHL Save Streak. If there is a tie for longest consecutive save streak, the goalie with the highest total saves made during his round will be crowned the winner."
Passing Challenge
"Eight players will compete in the NHL Passing Challenge, which consists of three skills over one round, including (1) Target Passing, where each player must complete four successful passes to targets that light up in a random sequence; (2) Give and Go, where each player must successfully complete the four required passes through a course set up in the neutral zone; and (3) Mini Nets, where each player must complete one pass over a barricade and into each of four mini nets, as well as an additional pass into the game net.
"Each skill must be completed before a player moves on to the next. The referee’s whistle signals completion of each skill. The player to complete all three skills in the fastest time is deemed the winner of the NHL Passing Challenge, and if there is a tie for the fastest time, the tied players will compete again to determine the winner."
Other changes
Back this year are the hardest shot, fastest skater, accuracy shooting, and a relay event, but the latter two contests will be slightly altered:
In the accuracy event, the targets will now light up randomly for three seconds at a time and players will be required to hit the lit up target before it turns off.
Targets that are hit will be removed from the random sequencing, and the player that hits all five targets in the fastest time will be declared the winner.
The Puck Control Relay (formerly the "Skills Challenge Relay") will feature eight players competing in three different activities: stickhandling, cone control, and gates, the latter of which will involve either shooting or guiding a puck through the lit rung of the gate.
That event will no longer include the goalie goals stage.
McAvoy first experienced heart palpitations during a Nov. 26 contest against the Edmonton Oilers. He informed team doctors after the game, at which point he was diagnosed with supraventricular tachycardia.
While SVT can recur at any time and cause significant symptoms, it is not considered dangerous. McAvoy opted for an ablation given the high chance of recurrence. He is expected to recover in two weeks.
The rookie blue-liner has been one of Boston's most impressive performers this season, as he's tallied five goals and 20 assists through 45 appearances.
When Ottawa acquired forward Matt Duchene from the Colorado Avalanche as the key part of a three-way deal on Nov. 5, most expected a Senators team that was only one goal away from the 2017 Stanley Cup Final to make a serious run in the postseason again.
Unfortunately for Ottawa general manager Pierre Dorion, his big splash in the trade market hasn't translated into success in the standings, as the Senators have gone 9-17-4 since dealing for Duchene.
And just like that, Ottawa has gone from a legitimate playoff contender to a team that should be sellers come NHL trade deadline day on Feb. 26.
Take a look at five players Dorion should move before the deadline in order to salvage the dumpster fire that has become his club's season:
Derick Brassard
The Senators are loaded up the middle with talented prospects that include the likes of Drake Batherson, Logan Brown, and Alex Formenton. Mix in the upside of current NHLers Filip Chlapik and Colin White, and Brassard's skill set could be deemed expendable by the Senators' front office.
More importantly, Brassard should fetch a decent return, as the rugged 30-year-old pivot still has plenty left in the tank and can chip in offensively.
Through 44 games this season for Guy Boucher's club, Brassard owns decent numbers, racking up 12 goals and 16 assists to go along with a solid Corsi For rating of 52.1 in just over 18 minutes of ice time per night.
Brassard might not be the 50-plus-point man he was a few seasons ago for the New York Rangers, but his value should still secure a solid prospect or draft pick that would serve the Senators well going forward.
Mike Hoffman
Quite obviously the biggest name on this list, Hoffman could be the ideal player to kick-start a partial rebuild in O-Town.
Of course, it should be noted that the potential return on Hoffman could be at an all-time low due to his struggles this season (on pace for only 22 goals), but that doesn't change the fact that many GMs around the league would take a long, hard look at adding the perennial 25-goal threat.
Hoffman, 28, has recently been bandied about in trade rumors, but the talented winger's remaining two-year salary at a hefty $5.1 million per year might deter some potential suitors from pulling the trigger.
Regardless, Hoffman doesn't seem to be a player currently in Ottawa's long-term plans, so cutting ties with him now while he still has value seems like an option Dorion would be wise to pursue.
Mike Condon
Condon is another under-performing player this season that would still secure the Senators a respectable return in terms of picks and prospects, as the need for quality backup goaltenders is seemingly at an all-time high.
Sure, some would say that losing a serviceable backup in Condon wouldn't be a good look, but with Ottawa losing games this season at an alarming rate, it might be wise to auction off the veteran backup while he's still in relatively high demand.
Across 15 games this campaign, Condon has posted a 3-5-4 record and .894 save percentage - hardly numbers that you'd expect opposing teams to be attracted to. However, when you factor in the 39 wins and six shutouts he posted over the two seasons previous, Condon might just be another perfect piece to ship out to set the Sens on the right path for next season.
Ryan Dzingel
Currently on pace for his highest goal (24) and point total (35) of his short career, Dzingel's trade value has never been higher. Sprinkle in the fact that the speedy forward can play both wings, and his attractiveness as a trade chip grows exponentially.
The slick-skating American is in only his second full season with the Senators, and at only 25 years young his best hockey is still in front of him.
Dzingel also has another year of control to entice a potential trade partner, as the talented winger is under contract for one more season at a very reasonable price of $1.8 million per season.
His age and offensive upside might be enough for Dorion to want to hang on to. But given the nosedive that Ottawa has been on this campaign, don't be shocked if Dzingel - along with a few others - gets shipped out of town before Feb. 26.
A television series based on the "The Mighty Ducks" franchise is reportedly in the works.
ABC Signature Studios put the project in early development after being approached by the screenwriter and producer of the original trilogy, Steven Brill and Jordan Kerner, according to Lesley Goldberg of The Hollywood Reporter. Brill will reportedly write the script in-house for ABC Signature, and if it's well received, it will be shopped to cable networks and streaming platforms later this year.
Goldberg notes that it's unclear whether the series would be a sequel or a reboot.
Released in 1992, "The Mighty Ducks" grossed $50.7 million domestically at the box office and spawned two sequels - 1994's "D2: The Mighty Ducks" and 1996's "D3: The Mighty Ducks" - along with a 26-episode animated TV series that originally aired on ABC.
Years after his last NHL game, Marc Savard has officially announced his retirement after 13 seasons and 807 games.
The 40-year-old last played for the Boston Bruins back in 2010-11, when concussion-related issues sidelined him indefinitely. His final contract - which later became property of the Florida Panthers and New Jersey Devils - expired last summer.
Here's what Savard posted on Twitter in regards to the announcement:
Drafted 91st overall by the New York Rangers in 1995, Savard recorded 207 goals and 499 assists with the Blushirts, Calgary Flames, Atlanta Thrashers, and Bruins.
Sidelined by a concussion in 2010, he returned during the playoffs and scored a memorable overtime goal for the Bruins.
Savard's name is on the Stanley Cup after appearing in 25 game for the Bruins in 2010-11, a season that culminated in a championship series win over Vancouver.
Palat was seemingly injured in the third period Saturday night against the Minnesota Wild after taking a slash from Wild defenseman Jared Spurgeon, as reported by Smith.
In 46 games for the Lightning this season, Palat has eight goals and 22 assists to his credit.
Palat's injury comes at a tough time for the reeling Bolts, as Tampa has lost six of its last 10 games, including a 5-2 drubbing at the hands of Minnesota on Saturday night.
"I just want to say a big thanks first of all to Pittsburgh," Murray said. I want to thank my team - they did a lot for me and helped me get home."
He appears ready to get right back out there, with Pittsburgh scheduled to play twice before the All-Star break.
"Hockey definitely took a back seat for a couple days, but when you're out there, it's kind of a sanctuary," he added.
As for when he'll return to action, that's yet to be determined.
"It's great to see him on the ice and join the team," said head coach Mike Sullivan. "I will have a conversation with him this afternoon but we will take it day by day."
Prior to his absence, Murray posted a record of 15-12-1 with a .903 save percentage.
MacKinnon recorded four goals - including two game-winners - and two assists in three games as the Avs extended their win streak to nine games. He sits second in NHL scoring with 23 goals and 36 assists for 59 points on the season.
Hellebuyck stopped 59 of 60 shots over two games, posting a 2-0-0 record with .983 save percentage and one shutout (versus Vancouver). Last week's performance was a highlight in what's been a stellar campaign to date.
Connor Hellebuyck established a @NHLJets / Thrashers franchise record for fewest appearances to reach 25 wins in a season (39 GP), eclipsing the mark of 49 games set by Kari Lehtonen in 2006-07 (w/ ATL). #NHLStats#VANvsWPGpic.twitter.com/dU7hQSSFdp
Marchand led the NHL with seven points (two goals, five assists) in four games, helping the Bruins extend their point streak to 16 contests dating to Dec. 16.
All three players will appear in the All-Star Game on Jan. 28.
