Day three of Maple Leafs training camp has yielded a rather unfortunate loss for the club as they prepare for the start of the regular season on January 13th. Though injuries are quite unavoidable while in competition - like the type players endure during training camp - this one in particular could have devastating implications for the Leafs' middle six if.
According to Leafs beat reporter Kristen Shilton, the Maple Leafs will be without the services of third line center Alex Kerfoot on a day-to-day basis, after Kerfoot went down in practice on Tuesday.
The Leafs do have some options available to them in the middle of the ice, such as Jason Spezza or Joe Thornton if they wish to juggle the lines up during camp until Kerfoot returns to action. However, they may also elect to just insert a player like Travis Boyd in at the 3C spot to act as a placeholder for the time being to allow Spezza to take reps with his regular linemates in camp, Wayne Simmonds and Alexander Barabanov.
Kerfoot register 28 points in 65 regular season contests last season, adding another 3 points in 5 postseason games. The Harvard grad is known for his relentless work ethic and tenacity on the puck. This could be a huge loss for the Leafs if his injury lingers into the regular season.
The Leafs also initiated a transaction on Tuesday afternoon, placing depth forward Denis Malgin - who is currently on loan, playing for Lausanne HC in the Swiss-A league - on waivers.
Malgin is a bit of an interesting waiver option for any teams looking for a serviceable, inexpensive depth forward with NHL experience who is capable of playing both center and wing.
Although he was held pointless in 8 appearances with the Leafs last season, Malgin did show flashes of his skill in the games he did play for the Buds. His production with the Florida Panthers, prior to being acquired by the Leafs last season, was much better. In 36 games with the Panthers, Malgin notched 12 points in 2019-20.
Perhaps the Leafs are hoping that since a lot of teams are strapped for cash, a player like Malgin could sneak through waivers unclaimed.
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