Health scare plagues Morgan Rielly at practice, and Craig Berube has the details

The Toronto Maple Leafs have been through it when it comes to injuries to their defensive core. Brandon Carlo, Chris Tanev, and now, Dakota Mermis are all out with injuries.

This has left guys like Morgan Rielly and Jake McCabe in a position to carry the workload. Newly acquired defenseman Troy Stecher has also been doing a phenomenal job, and his presence is appreciated.

With that being said, the Maple Leafs had a scare at practice on Wednesday as they geared up for their big matchup with the San Jose Sharks on Thursday.

Defenseman Morgan Rielly was not in attendance, as he was dealing with some sort of illness. We have seen that a few times with the Leafs this season, and almost every time, the player misses the game the next day.

However, Leafs head coach Craig Berube made sure to give fans and the media some good news upon getting off the ice in Toronto.

Simply put, Rielly is expected to play on Thursday night. Meanwhile, recently called-up defenseman Henry Thrun will make his Maple Leafs debut.

Today, at morning skate, the Maple Leafs will have a much better idea of what the lineup will look like and whether or not it includes Morgan Rielly.

Going into tonight's match with the San Jose Sharks, the Maple Leafs are looking to keep their good fortunes alive. They have won four of their last five and have looked amazing out there.

The team is clicking on offense, and their defensive performances have been their best of the entire season thus far, which is encouraging.

Furthermore, they are closer than ever to a playoff spot, and a win would catapult them into a very advantageous position.