Updated, May 3: They sneaked him onto the roster today.  The AHL transactions page is showing him added to the team.  As you can get from Sheldon Keefe’s comments in the video below, they are not sure if or when he will play.

The Toronto Marlies sneaked another Swede onto the ice today!

Carl Grundström joined the team in practice, and I don’t think you grab an 11+ hour flight to skate with the boys and shoot the breeze, but nothing else has been announced.

Carl Grundström gets a contract!
Marlies sign draft pick Jesper Lindgren to an ATO
Toronto Marlies are adding one Swede per day: today it’s Pierre Engvall

Grundström’s ELC takes effect on July 1, so for this season he has to be added via a PTO contract to actually play with the Marlies.  We don’t know if he has, since the Marlies twitter decided to tell us only what we already knew, that he’s at practice.

The next question is: will he play if he is on a PTO?

If he does draw in, who is he bouncing from the lineup?  He usually plays left wing, and the four players in that spot in all the games in the first round of the playoffs were Kerby Rychel, Brendan Leipsic, Andreas Johnsson and Dmytro Timashov.  There’s not a one of those players that shouldn’t play every game they’re healthy for.  He does play some centre, but that has not been a common position for him of late.

But competition for spots is one of the things the AHL and the Marlies are all about.  If someone does sit out for the new prospect, that’s part of development — there’s and his.

When we know his status, we will update you.

Sheldon Keefe talks about him here, and I can’t tell what’s up.  Maybe they’ll put him on a PTO?

Toronto MarliesMaple Leafs Prospects