Return of stars puts Leivo in limbo

Fourth-line winger has helped cover for loss of Matthews and Nylander

By now, Maple Leafs winger Josh Leivo knows the entire meaning of the often-used sports phrase “day-to-day.”

It would seem that phrase has, once again, crept into the hockey life of the popular fourth-line winger.

Any day now, it’s expected William Nylander will end his contract impasse, sign with the Leafs, and return to the lineup. And it could be as early as Wednesday that Auston Matthews is back.

For Leivo, the proverbial writing is on the wall: he’s done an excellent job with the opportunity he’s received with the absence of Nylander and Matthews.

But when the two top guns return, Leivo’s role is almost certain to change. In fact, he could be one of two or three Leafs — Frederik Gauthier and Tyler Ennis — who sees his opportunity dry up, or his ice time reduced.

“(Matthews) coming back, he’s healthy, we’ve all seen it and it’s very exciting,” Leivo said at practice Tuesday.

“I just go out there day-to-day and focus on what I can control, I try to get better every day, on and off the ice.

“It (team’s performance with top stars sidelined) shows we can all do it,” Leivo added. “We have guys who can step up. It shows how deep we are.”

Leivo has lived the life of a “step up” player for much of his tenure with the Leafs. He’s proved versatile in being able to play up and down the lineup, and has excelled with the fulltime opportunity he’s had ever since Nylander’s contract im- passe kept him out of the lineup from the start of training camp.

When Matthews suffered his shoulder injury in late October, the Leafs were in dire straits. Players such as Leivo, Ennis and Gauthier answered by filling the void immediately, and forming a solid fourth line.

In Leivo’s case, there’s an added experience factor of serving in a bottom-six forward role. But his shot is excellent, and unsung, a detail which helped him land time on the second power-play unit.

Over 25 games, and averaging fewer than 10 minutes of ice time per game, he’s notched four goals and two assists, with two of the goals coming on the power play. He’s also notched the game-winning goal on two occasions.

That kind of work, along with an overall solid job from his linemates, has helped the Leafs go 9-5 without Matthews.

But, the question arises for Leivo: where does he play when the big-name players return?

Leafs coach Mike Babcock said he has yet to determine who will play with Matthews. Leivo stands a good chance of remaining a winger on the fourth line, but his linemates also want the same job; one of them will likely become the extra forward, while another could get a ticket to the Marlies.

Leivo, now in his sixth year in the organization, has proven durable with his role. His value, beyond his skill set, is rooted in the fact he always stays sharp when playing opportunities are not there, and contributes immediately when his name is called.

Add to that a reputation as a great teammate, and there’s the foundation for a solid, role player. The Leafs recognized that, signing him to a one-year, $925,000 (U.S.) deal in November 2017.

That signing came amid rumors that Leivo had asked to be traded due to a lack of ice time, but then-GM Lou Lamoriello denied the rumours, and told Leivo to “stick with it.”

Signing Leivo was also a smart move for Toronto: Leivo was close to qualifying as a Group 6 UFA (he would have qualified had he not signed, and played fewer than 39 games last season). Instead of losing him to unrestricted free agency, Toronto gained another year of service, and added cost certainty in case another NHL team asks for him in a trade.