Sheldon Keefe shares official update on Morgan Rielly.

The Toronto Maple Leafs are getting some positive news on Monday morning.

After Maple Leafs defenseman Morgan Rielly was spotted hitting the ice earlier today, Sheldon Keefe has shared an update that indicates it will not be long before Rielly makes his return to the lineup.

"He is day to day. But he is close to 100%," said Keefe on Monday.

That of course means that Rielly will miss his fourth straight game since suffering an upper-body injury against the Carolina Hurricanes back on the 24 of March. The Leafs will welcome the Florida Panthers to Toronto later this evening but won't play again until Wednesday when they will welcome the Tampa Bay Lightning to Toronto. Given Rielly's status as day to day, it seems plausible at least that he could be back in the lineup on time to face the Lightning.

That being said at this late stage of the season and with the Stanley Cup playoffs only 2 weeks away, the Leafs may choose to play it safe with their top defenseman and give him some additional time to recover. If that is indeed the case there is a also a game against the Montreal Canadiens on the horizon this week that could serve as a potential return date for Rielly, with that game scheduled to take place on Saturday night.