The Leafs held a practice today, so we have some hints on the status of some players.
First, Trevor Moore is back up:
.@SportChek Player Alert: The @MapleLeafs have recalled forward Trevor Moore from the @TorontoMarlies (AHL) on an emergency basis.#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/cyjDzll8UQ
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 31, 2018
He has been sent down twice now, and then called right back up for the next practice without playing in the AHL in the interim. I have to assume the Leafs are banking bits of cap space with this move. Too bad their press box regulars aren’t waiver exempt, or they could do that with them too.
But wait!
.@SportChek Player Alert: @MapleLeafs loan forward Trevor Moore to the @TorontoMarlies (AHL).#LeafsForever pic.twitter.com/vvlQSsJqzG
— Toronto Maple Leafs (@MapleLeafs) December 31, 2018
Now he’s back down, but after the Marlies game started. So this has to be cap space. He was called up just for the practice. I had thought it was playing games with his waiver exemption, but he has 77 more NHL games played. So practice days don’t do anything to that, and he can’t run over that before the end of the year, no matter how deep the Leafs go in the playoffs. He’ll lose his waiver exemption at the start of next season regardless.
Zach Hyman was on the ice today:
Zach Hyman out with #Leafs trainer Jon Geller this morning. Doing some basic skating drills. First time I’ve seen him on the ice since team announced he suffered an ankle injury on Dec. 18 vs. NJD. Timeline was at least three weeks until he returned.
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) December 31, 2018
Three weeks from December 18 is January 8, so I don’t think we should expect Hyman in a game very soon.
No one has given a timeline on Tyler Ennis yet, that I’m aware.
Frederik Andersen was also on the ice working with Leafs goalie coach Steve Briere. The Leafs used York University’s Alex Fotino filled one of the nets at the practice that came later.
Here’s some riveting footage of Frederik Andersen for your New Year’s Eve viewing pleasure pic.twitter.com/HQ8SatkzY4
— Kristen Shilton (@kristen_shilton) December 31, 2018
Andersen is not on IR, is listed as day to day, and after practice, this was the story:
Babcock said Andersen would work out on the ice with Steve Briere tomorrow (the Leafs as a team aren’t practicing). Unclear yet if he’ll practice with the team the following day or be available to play Thursday. https://t.co/Ncq4CspSnV
— Jonas Siegel (@jonassiegel) December 31, 2018
In Nylander news, he transferred some weight from up top (he’s had his hair cut) to his stick:
William Nylander, who has not scored yet in 11 games since returning, is practicing with weight on the bottom of his stick.#LeafsForever #NHL pic.twitter.com/9MykztTRXl
— Dave McCarthy (@DaveAMcCarthy) December 31, 2018
The practice lines were as follows:
Brown-Tavares-Marner
Johnsson-Matthews-Nylander
Marleau-Kadri-Kapanen
Lindholm-Gauthier-Moore
Rielly-Hainsey
Gardiner-Zaitsev
Dermott-Ozhiganiv
Marincin-Holl
Don’t take any of that too seriously. This far out from the next game, Babcock likes to try things out and mess with people’s heads.
Michael Hutchinson was at Marlies practice yesterday, and they play today, so he wasn’t available to fill in at this practice. They would have to go to the bother of calling him up to do that, so it’s not worth it.