Toronto Maple Leafs on the Verge of Making Critical Emergency Call-Up
Photo credit: Imagn Images
With Oliver Ekman-Larsson and Jake McCabe out of the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup, an emergency call-up might just be the move to get through the weekend.
Practice on Friday was filled with bad news for the Toronto Maple Leafs as it was revealed that Jake McCabe and Oliver Ekman-Larsson would be out agains the Montreal Canadiens.
This means the team has to play with five defenseman, which is less than ideal especially when you get to this point in the season and you want to win games.
McCabe and Ekman-Larsson have been essential to the success of this team and now, they will just not be in the lineup. Bad omens all around.
Toronto Maple Leafs need a defenseman
Now, the team needs to think about an emergency call-up. According to Leafs Updates on Twitter, the Leafs will not be able to call up anyone who makes more than $875K.
Essentially, the only defenseman that they can't bring up is Matt Benning. However, it is mostly likely that Dakota Mermis or Marshall Rifai get the call.
With the Leafs playing short tomorrow, they will be allowed to call-up a D from the Marlies (max cap hit of $875K) for Sunday if OEL can't go.
Sunday, the Leafs play the Carolina Hurricanes and Ekman-Larsson is still an unknown for that one.
It is guaranteed that McCabe won't be in the lineup, but OEL missing a second game in a row would be damn near disastrous.
As it stands, the Leafs are up two points on the Tampa Bay Lightning for first in the Atlantic Division with just four games left. The Lightning have three left.
Only time will tell whether or not the Leafs can weather this storm and come out on the other side with some wins to start the year.
Previously on TorontoLeafsInsider
| POLL | ||
AVRIL 12 | 192 ANSWERS Toronto Maple Leafs on the Verge of Making Critical Emergency Call-Up Do you believe the Toronto Maple Leafs absolutely need a sixth defenseman? | ||
| YES | 165 | 85.9 % |
| NO | 27 | 14.1 % |
| List of polls | ||
TRENDING NOW
