Oliver Ekman-Larsson leaves the Maple Leafs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without one of their top defensemen on Sunday night when they face off against one of the National Hockey League's best teams this season, the Minnesota Wild.

The Maple Leafs have officially announced that Ekman-Larsson has left the team in order to be with his wife, with the couple expecting the birth of their child. As a result Ekman-Larsson has traveled back to Toronto and it is currently unclear when he will return to the lineup.

Due to Ekman-Larsson's departure, the Maple Leafs have called up 25 year old defenseman Henry Thrun on an emergency basis. Thrun, who has spent the majority of this season with the American Hockey League's Toronto Marlies, has 4 goals and 16 assists for 20 points in 42 games with the Maries this season. Thrun has appeared in 4 games for the Maple Leafs this season but has no points thus far.

While Ekman-Larsson's departure from the team will no doubt diminish their odds of victory this evening, that may actually be a positive for the majority of the Maple Leafs fan base. A significant and vocal portion of the fan base has begun to root for a tank that would allow them to retain their first round pick this season, which was traded to the Boston Bruins but is top 5 protected.