The Maple Leafs have placed defenseman Martin Marincin on injured reserve and have recalled center Frederik Gauthier from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.
Marincin suffered a lower body injury against the Boston Bruins on December 10 and the club reported last week that he would be out from four-to-six weeks.
The 21-year-old Gauthier has one goal and three assists in 16 games with the Marlies this season.
*******
The Toronto Maple Leafs ended their four-game home losing streak with a 2-1 win over the Pittsburgh Penguins at Air Canada Center on Saturday, thanks to Jake Gardiner’s game winner two minutes into overtime, set up by more of rookie Mitch Marner’s offensive magic.
The Leafs were the beneficiaries of the schedule, as Pittsburgh played their second of back-to-back games and were without veteran defensemen Kris Letang and Trevor Daley.
Evgeni Malkin scored the opening goal on the power-play midway through the first and Pittsburgh maintained the lead for just 14 seconds, as Team Russia teammate Nikita Zaitsev scored his first NHL goal to tie it for Toronto.
I can't remember the last time the ACC was this loud for a regular season game. pic.twitter.com/5WB2ChJy43
— Jeff Veillette (@JeffVeillette) December 18, 2016
Frederik Andersen made 33 saves for his 12th victory of the season and preserved the tie score late in regulation with a stop on former Leaf Phil Kessel.
The Leafs averaged over 40 shots in home losses to Devan Dubnyk(MIN), Semyon Varlamov(COL), Mike Smith(AZ) and Martin Jones(SJ) and pelted Marc-Andre Fleury and Matt Murray (who took over for Fleury after being cut by James van Riemsdyk’s skate) with 49 shots, but are just 1-2-2 at ACC this month, with only nine goals scored.
“We showed a lot today about how detailed (the Penguins) were and how good they were. That's what we're trying to do. I think you should follow that up with feeling good about our team.… Leafs coach Mike Babcock said after the game.
Splitting up the season into five game blocks is something that Babcock implemented while coaching in Detroit and is employing it in Toronto to give the young Leafs a goal to strive for if or when an Eastern Conference playoff spot becomes unrealistic.
“We won this (five game) segment and we've only won two segments since we started the year. Now we've got to go win another segment.… Babcock said. “When the wheels are off and the standings don't look as good as they should, (winning a segment) gives you a focus. When the standings look too good, it still gives you a focus. It works both ways. It works when you're on the wrong side of things and it works when you're on the right side of things.…
The Leafs will begin another five-game segment on Monday, as they host former head coach Randy Carlyle and the Anaheim Ducks before finishing up 2016 with four straight games on the road.
*******
As the March 1st deadline approaches, Leafs winger James van Riemsdyk is expected to be a prominently mentioned in trade chatter surrounding the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Sportsnet’s Nick Kypreos reported on Saturday that teams have been inquiring into the availability of the big winger and that Toronto is open to discussing the possibility of moving him for the right price.
The 27-year-old winger is under contract through 2018, with a very reasonable $4.25 Million contract. The Leafs are likely to use van Riemsdyk to acquire help on the blueline that they desperately need and should get a return comparable to that received for Phil Kessel.
In reality, the return should be significantly more.
Van Riemsdyk should be an attractive addition to contending teams looking for a scoring winger and the Leafs have the ability to either retain 50% of the winger’s salary or take back a contract in a trade. The Kessel trade was complicated by the winger’s salary and seven years remaining on an eight-year, $64 Million contract. The amount and term of the deal forced Toronto to retain 15% of the $8 Million cap hit and take back Nick Spaling, who made over $2 Million.
If Lamoriello does not get what he believes are good offers for van Riemsdyk, the Leafs have the option of keeping him and moving the winger before or at the NHL Draft next June, but the return for a top-six forward with a year left on his contract should be the best before the deadline.
*******
Listen to Friday’s edition of Off The Post with Anthony Mingioni, Russ Cohen, myself and special guest Kevin Allen of USA Today.
*******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.*******
Note : Continue to check back to my column on Hockeybuzz throughout the day for the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter
KINDLE USERS: Please sign up for Maple Leafs Buzz, which includes a free-of-charge 14-day trial and is just 99 cents per month afterwards. For more information click here.