After losing his spot in the lineup to Dryden Hunt, Joey Anderson is headed back to the minor leagues. The Toronto Maple Leafs announced today that Anderson will rejoin the Toronto Marlies of the AHL, giving them a roster spot to activate Rasmus Sandin when necessary.
After a road trip coming out of the Christmas break, the Maple Leafs are headed home for three games starting tomorrow night. They won’t need the extra forward, given they already have Wayne Simmonds sitting out as a healthy scratch. Anderson as played seven games with the Maple Leafs this season, scoring one goal while averaging just over nine minutes a night. The 24-year-old hasn’t had much NHL opportunity since arriving in Toronto, playing 13 games since the start of 2020-21.
He has been arguably the Marlies’ best player though, with 11 goals and 19 points in 21 games this season. He’ll continue to stay sharp in the minor leagues until the NHL club needs him again.
Activating Sandin will give the Maple Leafs a decision to make when it comes to their defense. The group has played well recently and doesn’t have an obvious name to remove to make room for the young Swede. T.J. Brodie’s versatility means they can take a right-handed shot out – perhaps Conor Timmins, the newest regular – but there’s no easy answer given the results so far. The Maple Leafs have allowed just 94 goals against in 37 games, second-best in the league behind only the Boston Bruins.
Sandin, 22, has 14 points in 33 games this season and is averaging just over 18 minutes a night overall.