Petan pact gives Leafs fourth-line alternatives

Forward’s signing could spell the end for Ennis in Toronto

Evidently Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas saw enough of forward Nic Petan in five games to be convinced to get the centre under contract beyond 2018-19.

The Leafs announced Thursday they had signed Petan, acquired from the Winnipeg Jets Feb. 25 for Par Lindholm, to a two-year contract with an average annual value of US$775,000.

Petan, who turns 24 Friday, would have been a restricted free agent this summer.

Petan has one goal for the

Leafs, averaging eight minutes 42 seconds in his five games, and has been at centre on the fourth line in the last two games as Frederik Gauthier deals with a foot injury.

“He is a player who fits the way we want to play,” Dubas said of Petan at the NHL trade deadline.

“He has a lot of talent, we just feel we need to bring him in and work with him, give him an opportunity, have him work with our development people and look to help maximize his potential.”

Earlier this week, Petan was asked about the challenges that come with being in and out of the lineup.

“I try not to think about it too much and just try not to put too much pressure on myself,” Petan said.

Petan has had a better time of it in Toronto than Lindholm in Winnipeg. Lindholm has played in two games for the Jets and was a healthy scratch in seven consecutive games before Winnipeg played Vegas on Thursday.

While the Petan signing could set up a battle with Gauthier for the fourth-line centre spot next season, coach Mike Babcock would prefer to have the bigger, defensively aware Gauthier at that position.

There is some insurance for the Leafs with Petan under contract as Tyler Ennis is going to be an unrestricted free agent this summer. If there was some thought already that Ennis was not going to be re-signed, the Petan signing could mark the unofficial end of Ennis’ time as a Leaf.

As Dubas said, Petan brings some versatility and he could wind up on the wing on the fourth line next season.

With Petan signed, four Leafs remain on the club’s list of restricted free agents: Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson and Igor Ozhiganov.

KUDOS FOR SPARKS

Garret Sparks had no choice. He had to perform well in his next start after calling out what he thought were his teammates’ emotionless ways after the Leafs were clobbered last weekend in Ottawa.

To his credit, Sparks accomplished as much with a 22-save performance in the Leafs’ 4-2 victory Wednesday in Buffalo.

At a glance, it might not have been a physically demanding evening for Sparks, but he had to be mentally sharp while going long spans, especially in the first two periods, when he did not face many shots.

“It’s always difficult when your team plays so well that they are shooting at a rapid pace and you’re not seeing much action, so you just have to stay engaged and stay focused,” Sparks said after the game. “I had a lot of experience with that last year with the (Toronto) Marlies.”