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Maple Leafs rookie Mitch Marner did not participate in the team practice at the MasterCard Center in Etobicoke, ON on Friday and is listed as day-to-day after suffering an upper body injury in Columbus on Wednesday.
The 19-year-old winger, who leads Toronto with 48 points (15 goals, 33 assists), is questionable for weekend games against the Ottawa Senators and Carolina Hurricanes and will be replaced by Nikita Soshnikov, who missed three games with an upper body injury.
“(Soshnikov) is ready to go and he’s dying to get in anyway.” Leafs head coach Mike Babcock said after practice. “We’ll see (on Saturday about Marner’s status), if I’m in charge, he’s in (the lineup), if the doctor’s are in charge, they’ll decide tomorrow.”
Without Marner, Babcock was forced to shift his lines. Soshnikov took his usual place on the fourth line with Ben Smith and Matt Martin, Josh Leivo skated with Nazem Kadri and Leo Komarov, William Nylander was lined up with Auston Matthews and Zach Hyman line and Connor Brown was placed with James van Riemsdyk and Tyler Bozak.
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The Leafs may have taken another step towards being a major player at the March 1 trade deadline, as
Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that the club quietly placed Nathan Horton, Stephane Robidas or Joffrey Lupul on long-term injured reserve(LTIR) earlier this season, opening up $13.55 Million in cap space.
Toronto placed Horton on LTIR last season, which enabled them to take on more salary in the Dion Phaneuf deal, the salary dump of Raffi Torres in the deal with San Jose for Roman Polak and the $4.5 Million cap hit of Brooks Laich in the deal that sent Daniel Winnik to Washington.
Those deals yielded four second-round picks in the next two drafts, defenseman Connor Carrick and prospect Tobias Lindberg.
GM Lou Lamoriello could repeat what the Leafs did last deadline, using the club’s cap flexibility to take on salary from other teams looking to shed payroll before the deadline, as well as trading expiring contracts (Roman Polak or Matt Hunwick) or players who do not fit into their long-term plans (Frank Corrado).
The Leafs have been very proactive in exploring every avenue to acquire draft picks and prospects, since they are currency that can be converted into players in trades with other teams in the future.
A first (from the Phil Kessel deal) and second rounder (acquired at the deadline last February) was used to acquire goalie Frederik Andersen from Anaheim last summer.
Contending clubs with minimal cap space may be willing to give up future picks or a young player not on their NHL roster to have the flexibility to add that missing piece that will enable them to win a Stanley Cup.
Teams like Montreal have been looking to move out the $3.5 Million salary of David Desharnais to possibly make a deadline deal and have five second-round picks in 2017 and 2018.
The New York Rangers may need to move out the $1.45 Million salary of Tanner Glass if they are going to make a deal for Kevin Shattenkirk.
The Minnesota Wild face an expansion draft dilemma with six defensemen they would like to protect, which could mean moving one of them before the deadline.
All these are possibilities that would not have any effect on the current Leafs roster and could benefit the organization down the road.
Based on what Lamoriello did last February, you can expect Toronto to be a player of some sort in the next 12 days.
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