The Toronto Maple Leafs on Monday from the team's AHL affiliate Toronto Marlies; later in the day, the team said defenseman Morgan Rielly in Sunday's game against the Florida Panthers andwill mi s at least eight weeks. So the 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship's top defenseman and one of Toronto's top defense prospects returns to the NHL for the first time since he was sent down to the Marlies in mid-October. The 19-year-old led all defenseman at the world juniors in scoring (three goals, seven a sists) and finished fifth overall among all skaters. World Juniors 2020: Toronto Maple Leafs' Rasmus Sandin named best defenseman Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas and former coach Mike Babcock said in October that they sent Sandin down so he could play more minutes and skate in high-leverage situations. He averaged only 12 minutes and 13 seconds of ice time per game in his six-game stint with the NHL club to open the season. [ Tyler Pitlick Jersey Sandin] knows how many minutes he was playing and when youre sitting there and you know youre not getting to go out and youd like to go out there, its not as much fun, Babcock said at the time. Sandin's return coincides with the Leafs' latest injury lo ses top defensemen Rielly and Jake Muzzin will remain out for the foreseeable future as the season enters its stretch run and the Leafs push for the playoffs in a competitive Atlantic Division. Exactly when Rielly suffered his injury is unknown; it happened during Toronto's 8-4 lo s to Florida on Sunday, but he finished the game and played a team-high 21 minutes and three seconds. Muzzin was originally ruled out week-to-week with a broken foot on Dec. 28 and the team on Jan. 12. Sandin has 15 points in 21 games with the Marlies this season in addition to his impre sive run at the world juniors as part of Sweden's bronze-medal winning team. Wayne Gretzky Jersey