Keefe comments on what he needs to see out of Denis Malgin to consider him a roster regular
Leafs forward Denis Malgin is set to play a top-six role for the Leafs on Saturday night against the Calgary Flames. You may have been shocked to read this in the offseason - you may even be surprised to read it now, but with Nick Robertson set to miss some significant time with a shoulder injury and a 1-game suspension to Pierre Engvall, it has opened to the door to Malgin for an opportunity.
Malgin has done well on the defensive side of the puck but hasn't been effective enough to be an everyday player. Coach Sheldon Keefe provided some comments regarding what the key for Malgin is to stay in the lineup:
In order for Malgin to be an effective player for the Leafs, he needs to be more consistent. The 25-year-old has 2 goals and 4 points in 19 games this year, while averaging 11:26 of TOI per game. The Swiss forward needs to be able to gel with Tavares and Marner, while also being able to hold his own defensively and have at least moderate levels of production.
This is a great chance for Malgin, who has mostly seen 4th line looks when he's in the lineup. It might not be a permanent fix, but Malgin showing well in a top-six role would buy the Leafs some time until Robertson returns or they decide to acquire a top-six forward in a trade.
