The Toronto Maple Leafs continued their post All-Star break hot streak with a 6-3 victory over the Vegas Golden Knights at T-Mobile Arena on Thursday, with Morgan Rielly breaking a 3-3 tie midway through the third period and Auston Matthews adding his second goal of the game 55 seconds later, but there was some concern about the status of winger Andreas Johnsson, who left the game with a leg injury.
The speedy Swede had eight points in his last five games and added his 15th goal on the power play to open the scoring, but left the game after colliding with Knights defenseman Brayden McNabb early in the second period and was helped from the ice.
The hit did not appear to be knee-on-knee as first thought, with McNabb making contact with the Leafs forward higher up on his left leg. The Vegas blueliner will not face any further discipline other than the minor handed out after the collision.
Johnsson did not take part in Leafs practice in Arizona on Friday, replaced on the fourth line by veteran Tyler Ennis, but was seen walking without a limp and in good spirits by Paul Hendrick of Leafs Nation Network, which is a positive sign that the injury is not anything of a serious and long term nature.
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With just 10 days until the NHL Trade Deadline, we will be keeping track of any mentions of possible deals involving the Maple Leafs. On Sportsnet’s Thursday night broadcast, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and Nick Kypreos speculated on possible right-handed defensive matches for Toronto.
Friedman reported that Leafs GM Kyle Dubas was travelled to Southern California for the Vancouver - Anaheim game on Wednesday and when asked about a possible fit for Toronto threw out the name of Ducks blueliner Brandon Montour.
Montour leads Anaheim in defensive scoring with 24 points and would be the right hand shot that the Leafs desire, but the 24-year-old has only one more year on a bridge deal at $3.38 Million before becoming eligible for arbitration.
Acquiring the Brantford, ON native would likely cost one of Toronto’s young speedy forwards in Johnsson, Kasperi Kapanen or William Nylander (with the Ducks likely beginning a re-tool), which would be a similar price to pay for Carolina’s Brett Pesce.
Kypreos mentioned the Leafs could have interest in Ottawa Senators defenseman Cody Ceci, who makes $4.3 Million this season, is also arbitration eligible this summer and one year away from being an unrestricted free agent. A qualifying offer for Ceci this summer would be close to $5 Million and with the Leafs having to sign RFA’s Mitch Marner, Johnsson and Kapanen, it would be tough for them to fit Ceci’s salary in unless they are able to move out Nikita Zaitsev or another big contract.
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