Toronto Maple Leafs: Grundstrom Call Up Looming?

The Toronto Maple Leafs will likely be without Leo Komarov for the remainder of their first-round series, with the forward exiting last night’s contest with a knee injury, failing to return.

This begs the question; who draws in to replace the fallen Finn?

The obvious choice would be Josh Leivo, the organization’s forgotten son. Having played just 12 games this season, Mike Babcock may learn to covet the freshness of Leivo’s legs.

And of course, there’s the Matt Martin option.

For the sake of brevity, I’ll keep this brief. Under no circumstances should Martin play in this series. If the Leafs possess any shred of hope for victory, it will come via an emphasis on their collective speed and skill, qualities of which Martin distinctly lacks.

So, where does this leave us? Well, if you’re game for some outside-of-the-box thinking, the following tweet may peak your interest.

That’s…actually not crazy?

Is This Possible?

Despite playing just two games since joining the Marlies from SHL Frolunda earlier this week, Carl Grundstrom has proven himself to be absolutely dominant.

In fact, his three points in that span fail to do him justice.

Grundstrom exhibits several qualities similar to those of an in-his-prime Komarov. The 20-year-old’s puck retrieval skills are top notch, he certainly doesn’t shy away from throwing the body, and his constant buzzing presence around the net is a goal waiting to happen.

Assuming a spot on the Marlies top line alongside Miro Aaltonen and Trevor Moore, the trio displayed chemistry befitting of a unit with an entire season’s worth of experience under their collective belts.

Simply put, the Marlies are a vastly superior team with Grundstrom in the lineup.

Fanning the flames, Grundstrom was listed amongst the scratches for Sunday afternoon’s regular-season finale versus the Belleville Senators. In any other context, his omission from the lineup would be warranted. The Marlies are wrapping up the back third of a three-in-three stretch and Grundstrom played in the previous two.

Although, it’s not like Grundstrom’s been grinding it out in the AHL all year.

As previously mentioned, he’s only participated in two games. Conventional wisdom would suggest Grundstrom is best-served playing as much as possible down the stretch, re-acclimating himself to his surroundings while carrying whatever momentum he garners into the playoffs.

Will It Happen?

When asked about the initial success of his newest addition, Sheldon Keefe answered by saying:

With Carl, he’s a guy that just needs some time and some experience. His skillset is there. He’s a competitor. He’s really strong on the puck. So, just the fact he’s a year older and is more comfortable around here and more comfortable in his own way gives him an extra dose of confidence.

What I initially take away from Keefe’s quote is his insistence on Grundstrom’s need for more experience. It’s easy to forget Grundstrom joined the Marlies late last season as well, in that case completely bypassing the regular season and making his AHL debut in the playoffs.

Now, the Leafs would supposedly throw their rookie, he of less than 10 games of professional experience, directly into the NHL during a heated playoff series against what’s arguably their fiercest rival.

As dominant as he’s looked at this level, that remains quite the gamble.

Instead, the Leafs possess the necessary reinforcements capable of digging themselves out of their two-game hole. There’s a reason why they repeatedly refused to waive Leivo, avoiding the risk of losing him to waivers.

Look, you kept him around specifically for injury insurance. And guess what? Injuries occurred. Use Leivo and let Grundstrom continue steamrolling his way through the AHL.

Next: Defence Grades

Who knows? You might just get a Calder Cup out of it.