Why is Mitch Marner not playing tonight? Exploring reason behind Leafs star's absence against St. Louis Blues

Tonight's matchup between the Toronto Maple Leafs and the St. Louis Blues will be missing some key firepower as forwards John Tavares and Mitch Marner sit out due to illness. This announcement came just before puck drop, leaving Leafs fans wondering how their team will fare against the Blues without two of their star players.

Mitch Marner has shown his ever-present offensive prowess with 22 goals and 35 assists in 50 games this season and will undoubtedly be missed on the ice. Similarly, Tavares, with 15 goals and 25 assists in the same number of games, leaves a significant void in the lineup. Their absence poses a challenge for the Leafs, who rely heavily on the pair's contributions to generate scoring opportunities.

To compensate for the losses, the Leafs have called up goaltender Dennis Hildeby and forward Alex Steeves on an emergency basis. Additionally, defenseman Max Lajoie has been loaned to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League to fill for Mitch Marner and the other Leafs absentees.

The absence of Mitch Marner and John Tavares adds to the Leafs' woes as defenseman Morgan Rielly serves the first game of his five-game suspension. The situation is further complicated by defenseman Conor Timmins' diagnosis of mononucleosis, although it remains unclear if this is related to the illnesses affecting John Tavares and Mitch Marner.

Despite the setbacks, the Leafs are making lineup adjustments to face the Blues. Forward Alex Steeves will make his season debut, filling in on the fourth line. The projected lineup sees William Nylander moving up to join Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies, while David Kampf centers Bobby McMann and Noah Gregor.

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Breaking down the Morgan Rielly hearing as Leafs will also be without Mitch Marner and John Tavares

An NHL game between the Maple Leafs and Ottawa Senators took place on Saturday. Ridly Greig secured a 5-3 win for the Senators in the Battle of Ontario by scoring an empty-net goal in the final moments. However, Greig departed from the unwritten rules of NHL etiquette by forcefully shooting the puck into the net from close range.

Morgan Rielly expressed dissatisfaction with how the goal was achieved and approached Greig as he skated in celebration. Rielly then delivered a forceful cross-check to Greig, causing him to fall to the ice.

Although Greig initially remained on the ground, he eventually regained his footing. Rielly was given a five-minute major, and an in-person hearing was scheduled later.

“I thought it was appropriate. Our players have the right to react," Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe said about the incident.