Leafs’ GM not ruling out making move
Less than seven weeks remain until the National Hockey League trade deadline and Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Lou Lamoriello gladly would make a move to improve his club.
Mind you, Lamoriello is not in a spot where he thinks he absolutely must do something before Feb. 26 to increase the Leafs’ chances of a long playoff run.
“I certainly like our roster,” Lamoriello said in an interview Thursday. “I think it’s solid.
“To do something for the sake of doing something is never a good thing. (When describing a possible trade) you don’t even want to use the word ‘substantial.’ Sometimes the smallest things become the biggest.’’
The Leafs are in their bye week after a pair of losses, but with 53 points, are entrenched in a race for second place in the Atlantic Division with the Boston Bruins.
Their solid footing in the standings aside, the belief remains, at least from the outside, that the Leafs must improve their defensive corps. Help soon could be coming, as Nikita Zaitsev is skating in his recovery from a lowerbody injury and could return not long after the Leafs’ bye week ends Monday, when they are back on the ice for practice.
Zaitsev was injured Dec. 15 in a game against the Detroit Red Wings and has missed 11 games.
There’s also the situation surrounding 21-year-old defenceman Travis Dermott, who was returned to the Toronto Marlies on Thursday along with centre Frederik Gauthier. Lamoriello says the two will play in a couple of games for the Marlies this weekend before being recalled for the Leafs’ next game against the St. Louis Blues on Tuesday at the Air Canada Centre.
Dermott was impressive in his first two NHL games, and you have to wonder if Lamoriello will be in a rush to add a defenceman considering Dermott’s smooth adjustment to the NHL.
“He’s comfortable in his own abilities and he has played extremely well,” Lamoriello said. “He has a bright future (or) a bright present, however you want to put it. We’re extremely pleased with him. He’s earned it.”
Dermott averaged 14 minutes 12 seconds of ice time in the two games, and was the Leafs’ top defenceman in possession during five-on-five play in both.
Dermott is in the mix for two spots with Andreas Borgman and Connor Carrick. One would think that once Zaitsev returns, slow and penalty-prone Roman Polak will be the odd man out.
Among the Leafs headed for unrestricted free agency this summer are winger James van Riemsdyk, who is tied with Auston Matthews for the team lead in goals with 19, and centre Tyler Bozak, who is getting back on track after a slow start.
The GM wouldn’t want to lose any player, especially van Riemsdyk, via free agency with nothing in return, but trading him would leave a hole at forward in the most crucial part of the season.