Mike Babcock was pleased with the performances of rookies William Nylander, Zach Hyman and Nikita Soshnikov after a 4-3 shootout victory over the NY Islanders on Wednesday, but while the Leafs head coach stated categorically that two of the rookies would be staying with the club until the end of the season, he did not sound as definitive.
“Hyman and Sosh (Soshnikov) are here to stay. They’re real players…they’re going to play.… Babcock said. “They’re just too good and too hard and too fast. Too much work ethic. So those guys will play and then Willy (Nylander) is obviously getting better.…
The 19-year-old center has two goals in six games and is getting a valuable preview of what challenges he will face as a full time NHLer next season, but it is still unknown whether the Leafs will keep Nylander up for more than 10 games and burn a year of his entry-level contract.
Leafs GM Lou Lamoriello indicated after the trade deadline that the plan was to give many of the club’s young prospects a taste of the NHL and burning a year off entry-level would not be a factor, but other rookies (Brendan Leipsic, Kasperi Kapanen) were sent back to the American Hockey League before getting close to the 10-game plateau.
Tyler Bozak skated in a non-contact jersey on Friday before the Leafs departed for their two-game weekend road trip to Ottawa and Detroit and may be close to returning to the lineup after missing more than a month with concussion issues.
If the veteran center is ready to return next Thursday against Florida, the Leafs may play Nylander the next three games and return him to the Marlies less than a month before the Calder Cup Playoffs.
A look at Leafs vs. Red Wings over the years. #CentennialClassic #TMLtalkhttps://t.co/hEQYQ4KmaM
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Toronto takes on the Ottawa Senators for the fourth and final time on Saturday at Canadian Tire Center in Kanata, ON. Rookie Garret Sparks makes his third straight start and veteran Craig Anderson will be between the pipes for the Sens, who have lost three games in a row.
20-year-old Rinat Valiev will make his NHL debut for Toronto, who have suited a league-leading 41 different players in Blue and White this season and ex-Sens Milan Michalek and Colin Greening will return to Ottawa for the first time since the trade that sent Dion Phaneuf to the Sens on February 9th.
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The Maple Leafs are hoping for the Pittsburgh Penguins to make the post-season to get their 2016 first round as part of the Phil Kessel deal, but that task has become a bit more difficult for the Pens, who will be without center Evgeni Malkin for the next 6-8 weeks with an upper body injury.
Malkin suffered the injury in a victory over the Columbus Blue Jackets on Friday and will be lost until at least the second round of the playoffs, if the Penguins make it. Pittsburgh has 78 points (three ahead of red-hot Philadelphia) for the final Eastern Conference wild card spot, but the Flyers have a game in hand and play their state rival three times in the final month of the regular season.
If Pittsburgh misses the playoffs, the Leafs will retain the Penguins 2016 2nd round pick obtained in the Daniel Winnik deal last February and could get their 2017 top pick if Pittsburgh qualifies for the playoffs next season.
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