Spezza will play in the Heritage Classic, but someone else has to sit, unfortunately
With the Heritage Classic just one day away, the Leafs have already confirmed that Petr Mrazek will be back in net on Sunday, in what seems like a bit of a controversial decision, given how sharp rookie Erik Kallgren had looked in relief of Mrazek on Thursday.
One decision that is not controversial is the return of veteran forward Jason Spezza to the lineup on Sunday after spending two games in the press box for the Buds.
Spezza, or "Vintage", as his teammates endearingly refer to him, was an absolute must-play against the Sabres in arguably the biggest game of the season for the Leafs in Hamilton at Tim Hortons Field.
As for who comes out of the lineup, that is reportedly yet to be determined, but I'd have to imagine that rookie sensation Nick Robertson, who was a -2 against the Coyotes, may unfortunately be the odd-man out.
In my personal opinion, I'd like to see Robertson remain in the lineup. He's a hard-working kid who has a wicked release and had looked very good alongside captain John Tavares and winger William Nylander in the limited time he's been up with the big club.
It's easy for us to sit back and say that the Leafs should sit one of Pierre Engvall, Ilya Mikheyev or Wayne Simmonds, but it's not as though Robertson has come in and lit the lamp with any sort of regularity. In fairness to Engvall, Mikheyev and Simmonds, Robertson hasn't exactly played any of them out of a job, save for maybe Simmonds - who can do things for the Leafs that Robertson cannot.
It's arguable to say that Nick Robertson doesn't belong in the bottom six. There's also not currently a spot for him in the top six, with Kase having returned to the lineup, forcing Keefe's hand.
