The Toronto Maple Leafs have scored a dozen goals in a pair of lopsided victories over the Vancouver Canucks on Thursday and Saturday and will look for the sweep in the final game of the three-game series at Scotiabank Arena on Monday, but will have to do it without veteran winger Wayne Simmonds.
Head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed on Monday that Simmonds suffered a broken wrist in the third period and will be out six weeks. The Scarborough native (who scored a pair of goals in the 5-1 win on Saturday) has five goals in 12 games and has been a key member of the Toronto power play.
Simmonds’ loss will result in some reshuffling of the Leafs units with the man advantage. Keefe indicated that both John Tavares and Zach Hyman will shift to the first power play along with Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and Morgan Rielly, which likely means that Alex Kerfoot will join William Nylander, Jason Spezza, Mikko Lehtonen and another Toronto forward on the second unit.
When asked how Simmonds will be replaced in the lineup, Keefe indicated that he will opt to go with 11 forwards and seven defensemen on Monday, inserting 20-year-old Rasmus Sandin into the lineup for his first game of the season.
"I just want him to go out and have fun, enjoy each shift and each minute that he gets. It's not going to be a lot for him out there today." Keefe said after Monday's optional morning skate. "Mikko (Lehtonen) is coming off his strongest game and he'll be part of the the regular six-man rotation and Rasmus will be there to get shifts here and there and spot in."
The Leafs announced the signing of forward Scott Sabourin to a one-year, two-way deal and the 28-year-old winger cleared waivers to be placed on the club’s taxi squad.
Keefe provided an update on the club’s injured players, indicating that both veteran Joe Thornton and rookie Nick Robertson are skating and Thornton in particular is making progress, but does not expect either to be able to return this week.
Defenseman Travis Dermott skated for the first time on Monday after suffering a leg injury in the 7-3 win on Thursday, but there was no indication of when he would be available to return. Goalie Jack Campbell has not be able to get on the ice since injuring his leg in Calgary on January 24 and Keefe said he is not close to returning, which likely means that Michael Hutchinson will get a start for the Leafs in one of the back-to-back games vs. Ottawa next week.
Frederik Andersen (7-2-1, 2.81 GAA, .896 save percentage) will make his sixth straight start for Toronto and Braden Holtby (3-4-0, 3.83 GAA, .888 save percentage) will go for Vancouver.
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