On Monday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs executed three minor roster moves, with Bobby McMann, Martin Jones, and Maxime Lajoie being affected. The most prominent change was McMann’s reassignment to the Marlies.
Notably absent from the Maple Leafs’ lineup on Saturday against the Boston Bruins, McMann’s move to the Marlies might be aimed at providing him with playing time. The Toronto Marlies are scheduled to face the Grand Rapids Griffins on Tuesday night at Coca-Cola Coliseum.
Hailing from Wainwright, Alberta, McMann, 27, has gained substantial fan support. Over the last two seasons, he scored 45 goals in 91 games with the Marlies, making a noticeable impact on the Maple Leafs’ fourth line. McMann’s presence has brought stability to the bottom line alongside Noah Gregor and David Kämpf, allowing coach Sheldon Keefe to deploy the trio in various situations, a departure from the reliance on Ryan Reaves.
Reaves, a career enforcer, has seen his role diminish, having been on the ice for 12 goals against while contributing to just two Leafs goals. In the recent game against the Bruins, he had only two shifts after the first period.
Maxime Lajoie, a 26-year-old Quebec native, may have gone under the radar as he shuttled between the NHL and AHL teams four times in the last five days. He has played in only one game with the Maple Leafs, seeing less than five minutes of ice time earlier in the season. Lajoie has featured in 14 games with the Marlies, registering five assists.
Martin Jones, recalled on Saturday due to Ilya Samsonov’s illness, faces two potential scenarios. Either Samsonov has recovered, and Jones will be back with the Marlies on Tuesday night, or Jones is set to start for the Marlies before a subsequent recall. The former appears more likely, indicating the Russian goalie’s return to game-ready health.
Signed by the Maple Leafs in the past off-season to a one-way contract, Jones serves as the third-string goalie, offering improved insurance against injuries to the team’s top two goalies, Ilya Samsonov and Joseph Woll, who have both faced challenges with the injured list in their careers, fortunately avoiding any mishaps thus far.
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