Toronto Maple Leafs Make Two Key Scratches Ahead of Capitals Clash to Accommodate New Additions
The Leafs are making some unexpected lineup changes tonight as they take on the Washington Capitals as the team attempts to right the ship after last night's loss.
It's been a solid stretch for the Maple Leafs until they hit a brick wall that was the Ottawa Senators. Completely lifeless, they were blanked 3-0 as Toronto struggled without their captain or Max Pacioretty, and both Brad Treliving and Craig Berube had to do something.
So with that loss comes a bunch of lineup changes being made tonight for the Toronto Maple Leafs against the Washington Capitals, hoping some fresh faces will inject life into the lineup.
Among these fresh faces lies the much-anticipated debut of Jani Hakanpaa, a solid and stabilizing presence that the Leafs are hoping will fix a leaky defense.
With the team struggling to defend in their last outing, allowing over 40 shots on net against the Senators, the physicality and more defensive-minded Hakanpaa can hopefully take some of that burden off of the Leafs' goaltenders while bringing much-needed grit to the blue line.
Joining him will be Alex Steeves, who will be making his season debut. He has been considered highly energetic and versatile, a real standout in the AHL, as he showed his scoring touch and tenacity both last and this season.
The Leafs hope he can add a spark to the bottom half of their lineup, offering depth scoring and an aggressive forecheck, which the team desperately needs right now. His hard-nosed style can prove valuable in matchups against physical teams, such as the Capitals, who will test the Leafs in both the offensive and defensive zones.
If Steeves can bring that momentum from the AHL into the NHL, he has a real chance to establish himself with the Leafs as a bottom-six forward this season and remain in their lineup.
Craig Berube sure hopes Steeves will be able to provide some extra offensive punch as the team was unable to score in last night's game against Ottawa and the head coach was absolutely livid on the bench.
Whilst the door opens up for some players, others aren't finding it quite so easy to nail down a place in the lineup. Tonight both Nick Robertson and Simon Benoit, two players who would be expected to contribute more this season, will be sitting out.
Robertson has struggled his way through the current campaign, failing to find his scoring touch and consistency that has limited his impact in recent games.
On the other side, Benoit has failed on the defensive end, not living up to the expectations placed on him as a reliable depth defenseman.
If neither player can soon stem the tide of their games, they might also find themselves eating a lot more press-box popcorn as healthy scratches, freeing opportunities up for Jani Hakanpaa, Alex Steeves, and other hungrier players.
Tonight, fans will be able to watch Jani Hakanpaa and Alex Steeves have an opportunity to prove their worth to the Leafs. Hakanpaa brings defensive stability while Steeves brings energy and potentially secondary scoring.
As they leave their mark, Nick Robertson and Simon Benoit will need to raise their games to not find themselves consistently out of the lineup, speaking volumes toward the competitiveness of the Leafs roster this season.
