Considering the Maple Leafs current situation, it may not have mattered that defensive prospect for the Toronto Maple leafs Rasmus Sandin played his progression to the NHL in a very smart way.
Had the Maple Leafs not been so banged up, Sandin might not be getting a look this season. He’d have had a great World Juniors Tournament but stayed outside the best league in the world where his game would have been just fine. He’d have wowed scouts with his play and been one of the prospects Maple Leafs fans were looking forward to seeing… eventually.
As it is, the Leafs are dealing with injuries and have looked to their farm system for short-term help.
Sandin is a heck of a prospect. Based on his World Juniors showing, he probably deserves a look in the NHL. But, a Maple Leafs teams whose defense is suspect, even when healthy, is also fighting for their playoff lives. Typically, this wouldn’t be the time for an organization to take a risk at a position of such importance. Now, they have little choice.
Sandin was smart. He may not have been able to predict so many injuries, but he was wise enough to recognize he might need that one thing that would give him the first look when there were questions about who to call next. With names like Jake Muzzin and Morgan Reilly out, the cap-strapped Maple Leafs wound up looking for inexpensive options to fill their roster. For Kyle Dubas, a GM who has to figure out how to fill holes and navigate a tricky cap situation, Sandin became a no-brainer.
You see, Sandin signed his first deal with the Maple Leafs and chose not to include performance bonuses in that deal. Short-term, that hurts his financial outlook. Long-term, it’s ingenious.
If Sandin comes up, plays well, and capitalizes on all the opportunity in the world, he won’t cost the Maple Leafs any more money than his straight NHL entry-level salary does. He’ll burn through a year of his entry-level free agency years, he’ll show he can handle the rigors of the NHL and he’ll be making big money that much quicker.
In the meantime, the Maple Leafs avoid getting stung by Sandin’s contract. It’s a win/win for both sides and in a day and age where players are often looking to make as much money as quickly as possible, Sandin was smart enough to recognize where he was eventually going to wind up and what would give him the best odds of sticking once he got there.
Related:
