Leafs recall Kyle Clifford, loan Joey Anderson to the Marlies

@Kyle Clifford is officially back.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Clifford from the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League, the Leafs announced Tuesday afternoon.

In a corresponding move, the Leafs loaned @Joey Anderson to the Marlies. Toronto had previously recalled Anderson from the AHL on Nov. 21 but he did not appear in any NHL games before being returned to the minor league.

The Leafs acquired Clifford from the St. Louis Blues on Nov. 16. In return, Toronto sent “future considerations” (read: nothing) back St. Louis’ way. He’s in the final season of a two-year contract with an average annual cap hit of $1 million.

This is Clifford’s second tenure in the Maple Leafs organization. He previously joined the team at the 2020 trade deadline, coming over from the Los Angeles Kings as part of the deal that made @Jack Campbell a Maple Leaf.

Clifford appeared in 16 games with the Leafs to close out the 2019–20 regular season, scoring a goal and two assists. He was held without a point in five playoff games with Toronto.

A two-time Stanley Cup champion with the Kings, Clifford, 30, is a big winger primarily known for his physicality. He has 65 goals, 140 points, and 872 penalty minutes in 728 career NHL regular-season games with Los Angeles, Toronto, and St. Louis.

Early in his career, Clifford was represented by current Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas during his tenure with Uptown Sports Management.

Toronto will return to action on Nov. 24 for a game against Clifford’s former team in Los Angeles at 10:00 p.m. ET.