UPDATE- Leafs have traded winger Josh Leivo to Vancouver for minor league forward Michael Carcone.
The 22-year-old Ajax, ON native appeared in 20 games with the Utica Comets (AHL) during the 2018-19 season, recording six goals and 11 assists for 17 points. The right winger was signed by the Canucks as an undrafted free agent after playing two seasons for the Drummondville Voltigeurs (QMHJL) and recorded 130 points (59 goals, 71 assists) in 116 games.
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The Toronto Maple Leafs have to make room for William Nylander on the 23-man roster and in the first of a series of moves have demoted defenseman Travis Dermott to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.
Dermott has one goal and five assists in 24 games for the Leafs this season and is one of four players (Par Lindholm, Kasperi Kapanen and Igor Ozhiganov) who are waiver exempt, which likely means that his demotion was of a temporary nature and that he will be recalled in time for the Leafs next game in Buffalo on Tuesday.
Nylander, who flew from Sweden to Pearson Airport on Sunday, will be checked out by the Leafs medical staff Monday morning and speak to the media at Scotiabank Arena in the afternoon.
It is possible that the Leafs could assign Nylander to the AHL for a brief conditioning stint (the Marlies are on a lengthy December homestand), which would delay any roster decision until the winger is ready to return, but with indications from Mike Babcock that he could be back in the lineup later this week, GM Kyle Dubas has to clear a roster spot in short order.
With a glut on the right side, the player that could be moved is Josh Leivo, who has four goals playing on the fourth line and second power play. If Dubas is unable to orchestrate a deal, the three most likely waiver candidates are center Frederik Gauthier, or defensemen Martin Marincin or Justin Holl.
Gauthier has just three assists in 22 games and is a healthy scratch with the return of Auston Matthews to the lineup, but is well liked by Leafs management. Holl, 26, has played just two games for Toronto this season and appears to be in a similar position as Frankie Corrado and Leivo have been in the last few seasons, where the club fears him being claimed by another team but is not good enough to crack the lineup.
Marincin is an unrestricted free agent at the end of this season and has periodically replaced Igor Ozhiganov in the lineup, but Toronto has experienced depth on the left side in Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman that could step in if the lanky Slovakian is claimed.
Stay tuned
#Leafs practicing at MCC, no William Nylander on the ice, as the newly signed forward is getting checked out by the club's medical staff. pic.twitter.com/gdXcPM1jht
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