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The Toronto Maple Leafs are once again on the outside looking in on the playoffs, as the Florida Panthers won 2-1 in St. Louis on Monday and moved into third place in the Atlantic Division, tying Boston with 66 points and moving one point past Toronto in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Leafs will look to move back into playoff position as they take on the Winnipeg Jets at Air Canada Center on Tuesday. The Jets are in a similar predicament, one point behind the Calgary Flames for a Western Conference wild card spot, but are 3-0-1 in the last four games, thanks in part to star rookie Patrik Laine, who was named the NHL First Star of the Week on Monday.
The Jets will not have defenseman Jacob Trouba in the lineup, who is serving the first of a two-game suspension for a head hit to Ottawa’s Mark Stone on Sunday, while Toronto will play their third game in a row without rookie forward Mitch Marner.
The Leafs placed Marner on injured reserve on Tuesday (retroactive to February 15) and recalled center Frederik Gauthier from the AHL Toronto Marlies. The 19-year-old forward suffered an unspecified upper body injury against the Columbus Blue Jackets and was said to be out day-to-day.
Marner missed both games on the weekend against Ottawa and Carolina, and is eligible to come off IR in time for Thursday's game against the New York Rangers, but
TSN’s Darren Dreger indicates that the Leafs medical staff is being cautious with the rookie and it is possible that he may be held out through Saturday’s contest against the Montreal Canadiens.
Gauthier, 21, has two goals, one assist in 18 games with the Leafs this season and lined up with the fourth line with Matt Martin and Nikita Soshnikov at Tuesday’s morning skate.
Frederik Andersen will get the start for the Leafs after getting a day off in Carolina, where backup Curtis McElhinney made 37 saves for his first Toronto shutout. Winnipeg will go with Connor Hellebuyck, who makes his seventh straight start.
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The Maple Leafs made another move on Tuesday, placing center Brooks Laich on waivers. The 33-year-old was acquired from the Washington Capitals nearly a year ago along with Connor Carrick and a second round pick for Daniel Winnik, in what was suspected to be a salary dump of the veteran’s $4.5 Million.
Laich was waived and sent to the Marlies after training camp, has one goal and five assists in 22 AHL games and missed almost two months with an unspecified injury, but does not think his career is over and would like another shot at the NHL.
“You don’t win a Stanley Cup playing in the American League. If the Leafs don’t have a plan for me with them then I would like to pursue a Stanley Cup somewhere else,” Laich said to
The Athletic’s Joshua Kloke on the weekend. ““I’m not here just to be a mentor and be a good guy. That comes by being a teammate and having experience. But that’s not my job here. My job here is to play hockey and play as well as I can. I still feel I have many, many years left to play.”
Toronto placing Laich on waivers was curious, since he was not on the NHL roster and it would not have any effect on the salary cap. It was likely done to advertise that the veteran is available. It is improbable that another NHL club will claim him because of his $4.5 Million salary, but it is possible that a playoff bound club could have interest if the Leafs retain salary to make a deal possible or take back a contract to balance out the cap ramifications.
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