In the wake of their winless road trip and four blown leads in their first five games, the Toronto Maple Leafs shuffled their roster on Monday, waiving veteran forward Milan Michalek and claiming former Leaf Ben Smith off of waivers from the Colorado Avalanche.
The 31-year-old winger was acquired as part of the eight-player deal that sent Dion Phaneuf to Ottawa last February and had one goal and one assist in five games with the Leafs. Michalek played 13:52 and was on the ice for the first two goals in a 5-4 shootout loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Saturday.
Smith, 28, was acquired as part of the James Reimer deal with the San Jose Sharks just prior to the NHL Trade Deadline and played for the Leafs at the end of the season and for the Toronto Marlies during the Calder Cup Playoffs before signing a one-year, $675,000 two-way deal as an unrestricted free agent with the Colorado Avalanche in August and was scoreless in four games.
Michalek is in the final year of his contract and will be assigned to the AHL Marlies if unclaimed. That move would alleviate the Leafs of $950,000 of his $4 Million salary, thus opening up $275,000 in cap space with Smith’s lower salary taking his place.
Head coach Mike Babcock indicated that Smith will play on Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning at Air Canada Center on the fourth line and as part of the club’s penalty killing unit. Rookie Connor Brown will be moved up to replace Michalek on the line with Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov.
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Forward Josh Leivo practiced with the club at MasterCard Center on Monday, but the injured forward is still not ready to see game action.
The waiver claims of Smith and Seth Griffith has Toronto at the limit of 50 pro contracts (including the unresolved buyout of defenseman Jared Cowen), which might be an indication of a possible trade in the near future. Veteran Brandon Prust is still skating with the club and is likely waiting out a roster move to open up a spot.
TSN’s Bob McKenzie indicated on TSN 1050’s Leafs Lunch that a decision is not expected on Cowen’s buyout until mid-to-late November.
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One potential move could involve the Leafs frequent trade partner, the Anaheim Ducks. The Ducks have gotten off to a slow start and are still at an impasse with restricted free agent defenseman Hampus Lindholm. The 22-year-old blueliner was selected 6th overall in the 2012 Draft (one pick after Toronto chose Morgan Rielly) and is looking for a long term extension similar to what Rielly, Columbus’s Seth Jones and Buffalo’s Rasmus Ristolainen signed for this year.
Sportsnet’s
Elliotte Friedman reported on Saturday that Anaheim is looking to get Lindholm signed for below the $5.4 Million AAV for Jones and Ristolainen, while the defenseman is looking for more than $5.4 Million on a long-term deal.
of The Toronto Sun's Lance Hornby reported on Sunday that the Ducks have scouted the Leafs during their three-game Central Division road trip. That could be indicative of the Ducks preparing to trade 24-year-old Cam Fowler or Lindholm.
Toronto and Anaheim have made 16 trades since former Ducks GM Brian Burke was hired by the Leafs in November 2008.
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