For the latest Leafs updates or Follow @mikeinbuffalo on Twitter
UPDATE - Rangers backup Alexander Georgiev will make his first career start against the Leafs.
The Toronto Maple Leafs hope to keep their offensive engine purring as the play the first of a rare back-to-back home weekend set against the New York Rangers at Scotiabank Arena on Saturday. The Leafs compiled 13 goals in wins over New Jersey and Florida and their power play was able to get on track, going three-for-three in the victory over the Panthers. The Leafs will dress the same lineup that won on Thursday, which means that Martin Marincin will partner with Travis Dermott on the club’s bottom defensive pairing and Frederik Gauthier will center Par Lindholm and Tyler Ennis. Marincin played just over 19 minutes and had an assist in his first game since November 10, while Gauthier played less than 10 minutes on the fourth line as Toronto’s forward lines were scrambled with the injury to Zach Hyman. Frederik Andersen (19-9-1, 2.48 GAA, .924 save %) as per the Leafs standard operating procedure will start in the first of back-to-back games, with backup Garret Sparks likely going against Detroit on Sunday. The Rangers (15-13-5) are lagging behind in the Metro Division and Eastern Conference wild card race with 35 points and may be a team that will move players as the NHL trade deadline approaches to improve their chances of getting a higher draft pick.
Henrik Lundqvist (10-9-0, 2.87 GAA, .914 save %), who traditionally has struggled against Toronto, is expected to go for New York. The veteran goaltender has a career record of 15-11-5, with a 2.96 GAA and an under .900 save percentage and the Rangers have won only four of their 15 games on the road this season. ******* The focus throughout most of this season has been the Maple Leafs cap situation and the dilemma they face with eight restricted and unrestricted free agents next summer, including Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner. What has been obscured to some extent is the advantage the club has compared to other Stanley Cup contenders this season and how that could be significant in the days and weeks leading up to the NHL trade deadline. The Leafs have nearly $6 Million to play with before February 25th (per Cap Friendly) and make more room available by placing injured winger Nathan Horton’s $5.3 Million salary on long-term injured reserve. Looking at just the Eastern Conference, the reigning Stanley Cup champion Washington Capitals have under $15,000 in available cap space, which means they would have to move someone off their current roster or create space by placing an injured player on long-term injured reserve. Tampa Bay may not need to add much, leading the NHL with 56 points, but if they desired adding another defenseman as they did last February by acquiring Ryan McDonagh, GM Julien Brisebois with less than $2 Million of space to work with would have to have to move a player like Tyler Johnson or Alex Killorn or an significant expiring contract like Braydon Coburn to add an impact player. Pittsburgh may be ready to make another run with a strong second half, but have moved young assets like Filip Gustavsson and Daniel Sprong in earlier deals and are looking to upgrade their blueline with Justin Schultz injured. The Pens may have enough cap space to add someone with Schultz on LTIR, but do they have enough prospects and draft picks to make that happen. The only team in the contender category that is in a good position to add at the deadline is the Boston Bruins. The Bruins are looking for center depth and possibly could be needing to add depth on defense depending on the health of Zdeno Chara, but they are more than capable of addressing both needs with a well stocked prospect pool and are close to $4 Million under the cap.
The challenge over the next two months is how will Leafs GM Kyle Dubas use this advantage and if it will make a difference come playoff time. *******
This is your podcast. This is The Leafs Convo. Thanks for listening. Enjoy. #TMLTalk #TheLeafsConvo @MikeInBuffalo @TheLeafsConvo https://t.co/2HcuexNQg2
— Norman James (@NormanJamesTLC) December 21, 2018