Rasmus Sandin Breaks Out
Rasmus Sandin is in the final year of his ELC, and if he can give the Leafs value for his 900K they are going to be a lot better than people think.
Rielly, Brodie and Muzzin already give the Leafs three top pairing star defenseman. If Sandin also cracks the top 30, suddenly the Leafs might have the best blue-line in hockey.
A star turn from Sandin will give the Leafs a ton of options, and elevate them into the top tier of NHL teams (if they aren’t already).
Sandin has only played 31 NHL games and a breakout will be costly (he’s on the last year of his entry-level deal) but who cares?
With power-play time seemingly assured, a 30 point rookie season shouldn’t be too hard to achieve, but if he gets on the first unit then lookout – despite a bad second half of the season, the Leafs power-play still has the personnel that should make it the best in the NHL.
If Sandin is on the first PP unit, he will rack up points, but that isn’t the most important thing.
The most important thing is that if Sandin can team with Dermott to form one of the NHL’s best third pairings, then Keefe can decrease the minutes his aging star defenseman play.
What would it mean to the Leafs to get to the playoffs with a fresh and healthy Muzzin and Brodie?