For the latest Leafs updates, Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter
UPDATE - The Leafs have placed Roman Polak on injured reserve with a viral infection and veteran Ron Hainsey is sick, which has forced the club to bring up Justin Holl on emergency recall. The 26-year-old is fresh off an appearance in the AHL All-Star game in Utica on Monday and has 20 points (4 goals, 16 assists) in 39 games for the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.
******* The Toronto Maple Leafs are hoping to find the winning formula they enjoyed prior to the All-Star break when they take on the New York Islanders at Air Canada Centre on Wednesday. The Islanders are in a tight battle for an Eastern Conference playoff spot with Pittsburgh, Columbus, Philadelphia, the Rangers and Carolina, who are all within five points of each other in the standings. New York is also playing in the second of back-to-back games after losing 4-1 at home to the Florida Panthers on Tuesday. The Leafs will have a difficult task in shutting down or limiting one of the NHL’s most potent offensive clubs, as the Isles top line of John Tavares, Josh Bailey and Anders Lee have 154 combined points and Calder Trophy contender Mathew Barzal leads all NHL rookies with 51 points. The game marks the first of five games in eight nights for Toronto and the beginning of their annual father’s trip. The player’s dads were present for the club meeting prior to the morning skate and will accompany their sons to New York (where the Leafs play the Rangers at Madison Square Garden on Thursday) and Boston (for their meeting with the Bruins on Saturday).
Leafs head coach Mike Babcock confirmed that defenseman Nikita Zaitsev will return to the lineup after missing the last six weeks with a broken foot.
Frederik Andersen will make his NHL-leading 43rd start in goal for Toronto after backup Curtis McElhinney ended his string of 11 straight starts in Dallas last Thursday. McElhinney is expected to get the start against the Rangers. The Islanders did not take to the ice on Wednesday morning, but with Jaroslav Halak taking the loss against the Panthers, it is probable that Thomas Greiss will get the start. ******* With the stretch drive beginning and less than a month before the NHL Trade Deadline, the Leafs find themselves in what could be described as playoff limbo. Toronto is nearly guaranteed a postseason berth with a cavernous 15-point gap between themselves and the rest of the Atlantic, but has only a slim chance of catching Tampa Bay or Boston for the top two spots in the division. With over 30 games left in the season, Leafs coach Mike Babcock is looking to keep his squad motivated, but is also lobbying the club’s management to explore making upgrades before February 26. "The bottom line is that it is our job as a team to put as much pressure as we can on Lou (Lamoriello) to help us and the only way you do that is not by talking, you do it by playing.… Babcock said on Wednesday. “The better you play and the more you look like you've got a chance, the more the opportunity you have for your general manager to help you." Babcock indicated that the Leafs he is pleased that his club can play with pace and effort, but there is always room for improvement and that is something that he communicates to GM Lou Lamoriello. "Lou's great. We talk every single day, sometimes way too many times a day probably. In the end, he's got to make the decision (on trades).… Babcock said. “He gathers all the information, whether that be pro scouts, amateur scouts, (Brendan Shanahan), Kyle (Dubas), Sheldon (Keefe). (We) gather all the information and make the best decisions to help your team." After going through an organizational breakdown earlier in the week, the Leafs head coach stated that he does not want to bring up younger players before they are ready to play in the NHL and the normal process maturation process includes promoting and demoting prospects two or three times before they are ready. This is indicative of the mindset that Babcock had prior to the deadline last season, when the club added veteran rental Brian Boyle in a deal with Tampa for a 2017 second round pick when the club could have forged through the remaining six weeks with Frederik Gauthier and journeyman Ben Smith centering the fourth line. Babcock continues to push the envelope to be competitive quicker, and while management wants to build a contending team, their timetable may not be in sync with their head coach. The question is whether this internal pressure will force the Leafs into another rental deal for this year’s version of Boyle, who had five assists in 27 games, get Lamoriello to spend a little more than he’d like for a top four defenseman or just stand pat. *******If you are interested in sponsorship or advertising your business in the Greater Toronto / Southern Ontario area on this column, please send a message for more information by clicking on the “Contact… button at the top of the page.*******