Rasmus Sandin sent to the Marlies
The Leafs were back at practice on Friday on the heels of a disappointing 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres on Wednesday in Toronto, but there was one notable absence at Ford Performance Centre.
21-year-old Rasmus Sandin had earned himself an opportunity to slot in alongside Morgan Rielly on the Leafs' top pair against the Sabres this week in what can only be described as an utter failure of an experiment. It was so bad, in fact, that head coach Sheldon Keefe had told the media it's not something he'd likely try again.
Less than 48 hours later, defenseman Mac Hollowell had been called up from the AHL's Toronto Marlies and attended Leafs practice - a practice that Sandin was absent from - leading to some speculation that perhaps he was being held out of action for the purpose of a trade. The reality, according to head coach Sheldon Keefe, Sandin was simply not feeling well and was given the day off. That solves that, right? Wrong.
Late Friday evening, the Leafs assigned Sandin to the Marlies, which has seemed to peak the interest of Leafs Nation once again. While it's probable that the move was made in order to get another rookie skater an NHL pay day, the idea that the Swedish blueliner could be packaged in a deal to bring in a significant upgrade is certainly there, as much as Leafs Nation may not want to hear it.
With the Leafs back in action on Saturday evening against the Vancouver Canucks, we'll see whether or not Sandin is recalled in time to take the morning skate. If not, I suppose the speculation will continue, as it tends to do in Toronto.
