Report: Newly acquired forward likely to make Leafs debut this week
The holiday break has come and gone, and the Maple Leafs are looking forward to the second half of their season as they play on the road in St. Louis on Tuesday then in Arizona on Thursday.
After skating with the team as a regular just before the break, newly acquired Leaf Dryden Hunt appears likely to get a look in the lineup at some point on the 3-game road trip, according to the Toronto Sun's Terry Koshan. The Leafs traded for Hunt just prior to the holiday roster freeze, but the coaching staff did not see any reason to rush him into the lineup, despite having Zach Aston-Reese skate as an extra for one practice last week.
The depth forward has scored twice in 28 games played this season, but the Leafs didn't exactly bring him to Toronto for his scoring prowess. When asked what he will bring to the Leafs last week, Hunt revealed that he'll bring some grit and energy to the lineup.
In terms of where he'll play, since Aston-Reese was skating as an extra last week, it stands to reason that Hunt will rotate into ZAR's spot on that 4th line. Considering they play a similar game, it could be the best way to set the 27-year-old up for success.
| POLL | ||
DECEMBRE 26 | 62 ANSWERS Report: Newly acquired forward likely to make Leafs debut this week Should Dryden Hunt play in either of the next two games for the Leafs? | ||
| Yes | 51 | 82.3 % |
| No | 4 | 6.5 % |
| Should play in both | 7 | 11.3 % |
| List of polls | ||
