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The second round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs will either conclude on Saturday night with the elimination of Edmonton or on Monday in Game 7 between the Oilers and the Vancouver Canucks. A number of former member of the Toronto Maple Leafs have been impactful for their current clubs in one way or another, which makes fans of the Blue and White either sigh with regret at the mistakes that previous management teams made or with relief that they chose not to bring them back.
Boston
James van Riemsdyk – 11 GP – 5 Pts (1 G, 4 A)
Of course, JVR’s one goal was in Game 4 against the Leafs.
Florida
Carter Verhaeghe – 11 GP – 11 Pts (6 G, 5 A)
76 goals over the last two seasons in Florida, two game-winning goals in this year’s playoffs. Thanks, Lou.
New York Rangers
Jimmy Vesey – 10 GP – 3 Pts (1 G, 2 A)
Erik Gustafsson - 10 GP – 3 Pts (0 G, 3 A)
Vesey has become an effective fourth-line checker, Gustafsson remains a defensive liability, and those who say the Leafs should’ve brought him back as a power-play quarterback are simply wrong.
Carolina
Stefan Noesen - 11 GP – 4 Pts (4 G, 0 A)
Played only one game with the Leafs after being acquired as part of the three-way deal to acquire Nick Foligno. Has been a fine depth forward for the Canes.
Frederik Andersen – 10 GP – 6-2-2, 2.62 GAA, .895 save %
Ask Hurricanes fans what they think of Freddy after Game 6 against the Rangers and that will be the same opinion that most Leafs fan had of him after five first-round losses. They will never win in the playoffs with him between the pipes.
NY Islanders
Pierre Engvall - 5 GP – 2 Pts (1 G, 1 A)
Matt Martin – 3 GP – 0 Pts (0 G, 0 A)
Engvall is a good bottom-six forward with all the tools, but unfortunately, he was often playing in the top-six and in the first year of that great seven-year contract the Isles gave him, he scored 10 goals.
Washington
Rasmus Sandin – 1 GP – 0 Pts (0 G, 0 A)
Nicolas Aube-Kubel – 3 GP – 0 Pts (0 G, 0 A)
The Leafs former first-rounder had a decent first full season in Washington, which earned him a multi-year extension with the Caps, but the 24-year-old ran into injury issues at the end of the year and played only one game in the playoffs.