Matt FrattinThe Canadian Press
Matt Frattin's terrific run in the AHL playoffs has come to an end.
And the Toronto Marlies look to be in trouble heading into the Calder Cup finals.
Frattin's coach revealed on Tuesday that the Toronto Maple Leafs prospect and league's postseason scoring leader will be out until next season with a knee injury that requires surgery.
There is no timetable for his recovery as of yet.
"The only update I'll give you is Matt Frattin is done for the playoffs," Marlies coach Dallas Eakins said after practice. "I have no idea on the timeline for rehab and all that kind of stuff. All I know is he will not play again this season."
Frattin suffered the injury scoring the insurance goal and crashing into the empty net in Round 3, making an impressive individual effort on the play to eliminate the Oklahoma City Barons last week.
That goal was his 10th in 13 games after he had 14 in 23 regular season games.
Frattin is one of three top forwards the Marlies are likely to be missing when Game 1 of the Calder Cup opens on Friday against the Norfolk Admirals in Virginia.
Both Nazem Kadri and Don Cherry favourite Mike Zigomanis have missed practice the past two days with undisclosed injuries. Zigomanis is closer to a return than Kadri, who is rumoured to be out a least a couple weeks.
Two other forwards, Marcel Mueller and Carter Ashton, have also missed recent games and their status is up in the air. Defencemen Korbinian Holzer and Mark Fraser are beat up but expected to play.
To fill his lineup in up front, however, it appears Eakins will be going with AHL rookies Spencer Abbott and Greg McKegg in key roles.
Abbott was an undrafted free agent signed out of the University of Maine this spring and has played just six games pro, including three in the playoffs so far. At 5-foot-9, he has some limitations, but he also had 62 points in the NCAA this year.
McKegg, a recent third-round pick, was on the losing end of the Memorial Cup with the London Knights on Sunday but could be pressed into action on Friday.
"He may be an option for us," Eakins said of McKegg, who had 85, 92 and 75 points in his last three OHL seasons and is considered one of the organization's better prospects. "I can see that he's excited to be here, he's excited to be on a line possibly right away and he's excited to get a chance at a second championship.
"I don't really know [what he brings] I haven't seen him play that much... I know he has skill, I know he can score and he can play all three forward positions. If we get down to it, it may just be a leap of faith that he's ready for this."
With so many injuries, these were the top four lines the Marlies were using in practice:
Hamilton - Colborne - Abbott Deschamps - Dupuis - McKegg D'Amigo - Acton - Scott Rosehill - Engel - Orr