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If the Toronto Maple Leafs needed any more evidence that they are in need of reinforcements on defense, the absence of Nikita Zaitsev has provided them with it.
Zaitsev has missed a pair of games after blocking a shot in the 3-1 loss to Detroit last Friday and is expected to be out until after the Christmas break.
The Leafs recalled Martin Marincin from the Toronto Marlies, but after a horrible showing in the playoffs last season and a bad training camp, the organization may have no confidence that the lanky blueliner is capable of being a spot player for them.
Connor Carrick took Zaitsev’s spot alongside Jake Gardiner in the lineup, seeing his first game action since November 24th and scoring a goal in the 8-1 rout of Carolina, but that pairing was exposed on the Blue Jackets opening goal on Wednesday and Carrick was victimized on Alexander Wennberg’s third period tally.
With Zaitsev out, head coach Mike Babcock shifted a healthy chunk of his five-on-five ice time and the bulk of his penalty killing responsibilities to Roman Polak.
Polak averaged over 20 minutes in the back-to-back games this week, was +3 and his check on Marcus Kruger on Tuesday sparked the Leafs gave them the power play that Mitch Marner scored his end-to-end goal on, but the veteran was unable to tie up Pierre-Luc Dubois before he scored to re-establish the Blue Jackets two goal lead on Wednesday.
Veteran Ron Hainsey has been a workhorse for Toronto, playing top pairing minutes with Morgan Rielly and nearly every second on the penalty kill, but that eventually could catch up to the 36-year-old, who throughout his career has been more of a bottom-pairing defenseman.
With the trade freeze dropping off on December 28, a number of teams that are looking to make changes could be ready to move out players that could help upgrade the Leafs blueline.
The Pittsburgh Penguins are looking to add a forward and with the addition of Jamie Oleksiak from Dallas, may be freed up to use defenseman Ian Cole in a trade.
The Detroit Red Wings are reportedly ready to start selling off players like Petr Mrazek, and pending UFA defenseman Mike Green would likely be on the block soon after that. The Vancouver Canucks have been ravaged by injuries (Bo Horvat, Sven Baertschi and Chris Tanev) and Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman believes that GM Jim Benning could be ready to move big blueliner Erik Gudbranson, since the Canucks are unlikely they re-sign him.
The Leafs will undoubtedly be tied to both defensemen as potential acquisitions if GM Lou Lamoriello opts to go the rental route (as he did last February with Brian Boyle), but has to find the right fit to improve his club’s chances in the post-season.
The 32-year-old Green is having another good offensive season (4 goals, 17 assists in 34 games), is a good puck rusher and effective on the power play, but is not strong in his own zone and offers the Leafs more of what they already have in Morgan Rielly, Gardiner and Zaitsev.
Interest in a veteran rental could be steep and the bidding could end up netting the Wings as much as a first round pick.
Gudbranson, 25, has two assists in 23 games with the Canucks but provides a big physical presence (6’5…, 220 lb) that except for Matt Martin and Polak is completely absent from the Toronto roster.
The former third overall pick could cost a second or third round pick in a deal (the Leafs have an extra second round pick from the trade with San Jose) and would be extremely motivated to put on a good showing with a new team to make a better impression going into his free agent year.
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Auston Matthews practiced for the first time since colliding with Morgan Rielly in Pittsburgh on December 9 and the Leafs center could make his return against the New York Rangers.
TSN's Kristen Shilton reports that Matthews skated between Zach Hyman and William Nylander and will be a game time decision for the club's final game before the Christmas break at Madison Square Garden.
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