Zaitsev injury compounds Leafs’ woes

A Toronto Maple Leafs team labouring under three straight losses, the absence of their leading scorer, a dry spell of others that includes two young stars, surely didn’t need the extra burden of injury to a workhorse defenceman.

Nikita Zaitsev, who leads Toronto with 22:51 minutes of ice per game and splits the majority of blueline penalty killing time with Ron Hainsey, is gone for at least two weeks with a lower body injury, possibly from a shot block Friday night in Detroit.

“You can ask me how he’s doing in two weeks and we’ll go from there,” head coach Mike Babcock said at Sunday’s practice, skipping any of his “day-to-day” vagueness applied to top gun Auston Matthews. “The way I look at it, it creates an opportunity for (Connor) Carrick, who has been waiting all year. The ball’s in his court and we get to watch him.”

Carrick, whose last of 17 games was back on Nov. 24, will likely take Zaitsev’s spot with Jake Gardiner. Zaitsev was credited with 94 blocks in 34 games, ranking him second in the National Hockey League to Kris Russell of Edmonton, but it’s his all-around game that’s made him so valuable to the Leafs the past couple of years, right from when he stepped from the KHL into big minutes in the starting lineup.

The Leafs will also have to find a new PK partner for Hainsey. The Leafs have called up Martin Marincin from the AHL Marlies, but it will be Carrick as Zaitsev’s 5-on-5 replacement and likely Roman Polak seeing more special teams work. Marincin would be insurance in case of other injuries on defence during a stretch off three games in four nights that precedes the Christmas break.

Babcock said he would let assistant coach D.J. Smith have a say in who will get Zaitsev’s minutes.

“The good thing when you’re running the back end like D.J. does, he watches the game, he gets a feel, he puts in people accordingly. Now obviously Polak is going to get more of that, but one of those guys he feels comfortable with at the start of the game (Polak, Gardiner Morgan Rielly and Carrick) who are playing well will get a chance. And if he’s good, he gets to go again. Then when Zee gets back, he gets to keep doing it.”