Keefe and Dubas yet to discuss call-ups with Matt Murray LTIR move: Here are some of the top options
Early Saturday morning it was reported that Maple Leafs goaltender Matt Murray had suffered an unfortunate abductor injury in practice. Murray, who was supposed to start in game three of the season against his former team, the Ottawa Senators, was now listed as unlikely.
As the day progressed, the Leafs had yet to announce their goalie tandem for the Battle of Ontario matchup. Well, the news finally broke and it was deemed that Matt Murray's early exit from practice would result in him being on the sidelines for a minimum of four weeks. The Leafs opted to put Murray on LTIR, opening up $4.6875M more in cap space. This is the seventh time in less than five years that Murray has been placed on LTIR. Although this is not the start the Leafs had hoped for with Murray, this move allows the Leafs to run a 23-man roster temporarily.
Even though the Leafs now have wiggle room within the cap and three potential roster spots available, head coach Sheldon Keefe and general manager Kyle Dubas have yet to discuss what roster moves they will make with the openings. The Leafs begin a five-game road trip starting next Saturday, where they will make a trip to Winnepeg and Vegas before going on a three-day trip to California. It's been noted that the Leafs will likely add some bodies ahead of the road trip; the question is who?
According to Sportsnet's Elliot Friedman, the rumours are that the Leafs will recall forward Nick Roberston. Robertson had an outstanding camp, producing eight points in five pre-season games. Many believed Roberston would make the Leafs roster on opening night after his spectacular pre-season performance, but he was eventually held off of the opening night roster due to his waiver exemption. Robertson is likely among the three call-ups coming soon to this Leafs roster, as he has made massive strides in all aspects of his game.
The other two spots remain the question mark. The Leafs could opt to go a few different routes:
Veteran Presence: Wayne Simmonds, Kyle Clifford
- The Leafs have been physical through the first three games of the season, but the presence of a guy like Simmonds or Clifford is still missing. Simmonds, who still wants to be a part of the Maple Leafs organization, could find an opportunity within these three roster spot availabilities. As Simmonds is practicing with the Leafs and has yet to report to the Marlies this season, there could be a potential role for him in the bottom six to succeed.
The Young Guns: Alex Steeves, Pontus Holmberg
- Both Steeves and Holmberg had good camps, but with such a competitive roster, they were both assigned to the Marlies. Holmberg can give the Leafs effective two-way play along the bottom six at an effective rate, already notching an assist two games into the season. As for Steeves, he showed out in the pre-season, scoring three points in five games. In two games with the Marlies this season, he has three points - two goals and one assist. Steeves can provide the Leafs with additional grit, aggressiveness, speed, and physicality on both ends of the ice.
Defense: Victor Mete
- Another option the Leafs have is adding a seventh defenseman. With the uncertainty of Jake Muzzin and his recurring back injuries, Victor Mete is a reliable option for the Leafs to fall back on if need be. Mete, who signed with the Leafs in early July, has the ability to play on both slides of the blueline as a left-handed defenseman.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have plenty of options. It will be interesting to see how they utilize their newly obtained cap space and roster spots within the coming days.
| POLL | ||
OCTOBRE 16 | 394 ANSWERS Keefe and Dubas yet to discuss call-ups with Matt Murray LTIR move: Here are some of the top options Who should the Leafs call up? | ||
| Robertson, Simmonds, Mete | 274 | 69.5 % |
| Robertson, Clifford, Mete | 36 | 9.1 % |
| Robertson, Holmberg, Mete | 66 | 16.8 % |
| Other | 18 | 4.6 % |
| List of polls | ||
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