Kapanen, Leipsic loaned back to Toronto Marlies

The Toronto Maple Leafs have shuffled up the roster today, sending Kasperi Kapanen and Brendan Leipsic back to the Toronto Marlies on a loan basis.

Both players were up with the Leafs on an emergency recall basis due to the four-recall rule, so one could suspect that this move means that PA Parenteau and Brad Boyes are in good enough shape to return to the lineup tomorrow. 

The timing of this move also coincides with the Toronto Marlies’ schedule, as they play the Utica Comets this afternoon. While there’s no guarantee that the team would throw them into a back-to-back situation, they would be replacing players who are in the midst of a 3-in-3. The Marlies could also use the scoring touch; despite being a powerhouse throughout the year, they’ve been outscored 6-2 in their past two games, with both of their goals coming from Connor Brown.

Kapanen’s demotion, in particular, has more implications due to his age. As a 19-year-old player in the NHL, the Finnish speedster is able to treat this year like a junior year from a contract perspective, meaning that it doesn’t count towards his entry-level contract until he plays ten NHL games. With four of those already played during this call-up and no assumed value in burning that year, it’s likely that the Leafs will like to spread out his final five appearances.

Kapanen was held pointless in his four-game recall but took six shots in approximately 62 minutes of play. while Leipsic picked up an assist on Nikita Soshnikov’s goal last night for his third point of the season and in his career.