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The Toronto Maple Leafs bounced back with a solid two-way effort in a 3-1 victory over the Dallas Stars on Tuesday, with backup Curtis McElhinney stopping 39 shots for his second win with the Leafs and Jake Gardiner, Auston Matthews and Nikita Zaitsev tallying for Toronto.
The win moved the Leafs into a second place tie with the Ottawa Senators in the Atlantic Division and one point ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers for the final wildcard spot, but Toronto is still within range of the eight teams currently on the outside looking in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
Auston Matthews made it 2-0 for the Maple Leafs with this redirect on Gardiner's shot from the point. #TMLTalk pic.twitter.com/XdOxhCZi0U
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) February 8, 2017
Toronto will use up most of their games-in-hand advantage in February, playing 10 times in the remaining 20 days of the month, which will provide GM Lou Lamoriello a more accurate gauge of where his club stands in the race for a post-season berth.
It is generally understood that the Leafs will not be buyers before the March 1 trade deadline, moving future assets for short-term rentals that could increase the odds of making the playoffs.
The odds appear to be decreasing that veterans James van Riemsdyk or Tyler Bozak will be moved unless a deal involving a young defenseman comes about, but it is still quite possible that Lamoriello will deal one or both veteran defensemen Roman Polak and Matt Hunwick, who are unrestricted free agents at the end of this season.
With blueliner Alexei Marchenko added off of waivers last week and Martin Marincin a healthy scratch, the Leafs have eight defensemen that head coach Mike Babcock is willing to put into the lineup.
The right-handed Russian could allow Lamoriello to shop Polak, who along with Nick Spaling was traded to San Jose for a pair of second-round picks and Marincin frees up the possible trade of Hunwick before March 1.
Polak’s mobility is declining, but he is still effective at clearing the front of the net and in a penalty-killing role. With defensemen a valuable commodity at deadline time, the Leafs could get as much as a third-round pick, which would make up for the draft choice compensation sent to Detroit for signing Babcock.
According to Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman , the Rangers are looking for help on defense and Hunwick (who played one season in New York before signing with the Leafs) could be a fit.
The Rangers are reportedly looking for a right-hand shooter and Hunwick shoots left, but the 31-year-old is a versatile veteran with an economical $1.2 Million cap hit, which would they could fit under their salary cap.
Toronto could also be looking to deal the recently demoted Frank Corrado.
GM Lou Lamoriello said in a radio interview last weekend that he hoped Corrado would be claimed by another team and given an opportunity to play. NHL scouts will have an opportunity to get a good look at the 23-year-old blueliner in the next few weeks and that generate interest.
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