Jacob Quillan loaned to Marlies as William Nylander returns to lineup
Photo credit: David Kirouac-Imagn Images
The Toronto Maple Leafs will get William Nylander back in the lineup on Saturday night however it comes at the expense of rookie Jacob Quillan, who has been increasingly looked like he deserves a shot but can't find a consistent spot in the lineup.
Nylander's return spells good news for the Maple Leafs and with them stuck in a tough position right now, they need all the help they can get. But doing so at the behest of Quillan is tough to swallow.
Quillan, 24, has only played in four games this season with Toronto and averaged less than eight minutes a game while glued to the fourth line. He deserves a much closer look, especially in an offensive role where the typically staunch defender has shown some serious chops (27 points in 28 games).
He's shown a lot of promise, yet for some reason the team decides to keep him on the bench and still put out the likes of Calle Jarnkrok at times; a slower and less effective player.
Quillan down yet again as Nylander makes his return to Maple Leafs lineup
Quillan, who barely got any playing time since Nylander's injury, was demoted back to the Toronto Marlies (AHL) once again to make room for the returning superstar:
It's a decision that will please some and frustrate others, as many think Quillan is ready to take the next step and he would be a replacement over the aforementioned Jarnkrok however the Maple Leafs desperately need Nylander back in the fold.
Nylander has 48 points in 37 games (17 goals, 31 assists) which still leads the team even though he hasn't played since January 15th -- over two weeks ago.
Quillan has nothing left to prove as his demotion raises eyebrows
For the Maple Leafs, they should really figure out what to do with Quillan though. This is the same problem they had with Nick Robertson previously and for a guy who was so good in the AHL he deserves a shot.
Toronto running Calle Jarnkrok into the ground during a miserable season makes no sense, and while they may be trying to raise his stock; he's not doing much to help his case and it's led to a lot of backlash:
Quillan is the closest thing the team has right now is Fraser Minten and we've seen how much he's thrived in Boston. Same goes for Alex Steeves.
At what point do the Maple Leafs decide that the future is now and start playing the pieces who will be here for years to come?
This team is not built to win now, so why not see what you can get while you move off of some frankly, tiring lineups.
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| POLL | ||
JANVIER 31|1302 ANSWERS Jacob Quillan loaned to Marlies as William Nylander returns to lineup Is Toronto going to regret not keeping Jacob Quillan on the roster? | ||
| Yes | 810 | 62.2 % |
| No | 492 | 37.8 % |
| List of polls | ||