I felt Sandin's numbers were crazy good in those early games and that he would come back "to earth"
I can't say I predicted they would swing to crazy bad in +/-. I looked at some of the goals against and he's getting blown past by some fast forwards sometimes. Some of it was his team was behind and taking chances and some of it was his team was weakened by trades and injury.

I still think he's going to be a top 4 D in the league for years to come. 2nd PP and ES.

On the surface, I'm not comfortable with the trade. I'm still trying to get my head around the 9 dmen thing. Maybe something fell through. Not sure of that - just a feeling.

I'm not into "the one that got away". After years of cheering for guys like Sandin through their development, I grow to kind of like them or pull for them. That doesn't seem to stop when they get traded - why should it? I'm pleased Joey Anderson scored a few for Chicago - he was stuck behind Marner, Nylander & Jarnkrok - I'm still hoping he makes it. Engvall scored some for the Islanders - good for him.

I'm not that impressed with the Leafs play since all the trades. Hasn't been all bad. I expected some turmoil due to the number of new faces. I think they have more of that to play through. I think they're counting on Knies being able to help. So I guess my jury is out until sometime after that.

There have been some notable good things: Matthews & Rielly appear to have found some of their game. That would be big if that holds. Murray, who I haven't been a big fan of, is showing signs of finding his form - in spite of how many he's let in. McCabe, Schenn, Acciari & Lafferty (& O'Reilly when he returns) have all had some good performances and look like they can help. Not sure about Gustafsson. For the most part, if not completely, Dubas got players who could help.

Hopefully, they can settle it down and keep home ice for the Tampa series.

Murray stole them a point - might be an important one with Tampa winning tonight.

13 games left in the regular season. 9 on the road.

I think Keefe needs to start settling his roster down ... too many disjointed nights.

Let's keep 34 and 19 together a little longer.

It helps Matthews line if the winger has some finish ...

Now let's see McMann light the magic lamp.

I'm pulling for him too.

https://twitter.com/mic_mazz/status/1636891015968612356

This provided some soothing ... (see the video)

I see it's going to be one of those refereeing nights...

Starting to feel like a pattern ..

They seemed to get badly spanked today. 5-0 loss to the Charlotte Checkers
https://theahl.com/stats/game-center/1024826
Woll in goal. Only 13 shots.
I did not see any major omissions in their lineup at a glance.

I have not been a big fan of the 9 dmen strategy.
But I'm reluctant to pass firm judgement as I don't have all the facts.

It is very obvious they received good return value in the trade.
They must like him with the contract he got. Most fans probably agree with them. I do.
I would also agree that it seems premature to toss him into the playoffs in a regular 5-6 role.

Maybe he is the reason for 9 dmen. To keep a spot on a NHL playoff roster and not trade him away seems to say something.
Maybe they saw something in him that they think they can fix and they don't want to part with that.
At some point when desired, he could be eligible for a 14 day (or less) conditioning loan to the AHL so he can get some games in and help if needed.

Interesting development to watch ..

https://twitter.com/brigstew86/status/1636421811192700928

Topi Niemelä might be next .. down 4-0 in elimination game .. - (EDIT) they lost - his season is over there.
But we've got lots of D depth.

Roni Hirvonen might be able to help the Marlies but I have not concluded when that might happen. I could not quickly find out his team's playoff status.
Edit:
https://liiga.fi/en/schedule
(maybe at the end of March ..)

Kamloops is hosting the Memorial Cup so Minten won't be coming any time soon.

That's his agent, so it's legit.

Thought so.

Looks like he's got a size issue. Very fast and skilled
But he's had trouble getting ice time due to lack of size/strength (according to what I read).
He's 5'11" so his height isn't a major problem. It is his 163 lbs.
Leafs should be able to help him with that but it is going to take time - he has a long way to go.

https://twitter.com/BabayevShumi/status/1636398487607672834

Seem to be a bunch of tweets claiming this
Have not seen anything official from the TML or Marlies yet ...

Samsonov
Reilly

+1

The Athletic: Auston Matthews opens up about the hand injury that's hampered him

"I think my hand and everything has been feeling a lot better, just stronger," Matthews said, acknowledging the nature of that injury for the first time. "So yeah, I'd have to agree with you there. Just shooting it a little bit more fluidly I'd say."
...
"It was bothering me," Matthews told me. "It just felt like something was off. I just felt like not completely, like I wasn't able to do exactly what I wanted to at times."
...
"Now it's feeling a lot better."

The fluidity was a big thing, Matthews said. And getting that back, he said, involved more than just getting his hand healthy. That's where pre-practice skill development sessions with Darryl Belfry really paid off.

"I really enjoy the skills sessions before practice," Matthews said. "I just think you can get a lot out of it. You jump into a regular practice, you're not really thinking too much about that kind of stuff."
...
"I think it's nice to get those kind of touches and get that kind of skill work that you wouldn't necessarily get throughout practice and then try to maybe implement some stuff too," he said.
...
"Just getting repetitions," Matthews said, "and shots and putting yourself in those kinds of situations and movements that you'd be in during a game and in situations and trying to work through different stuff."

Doubt many will be surprised to see that ...

The Athletic link: If you're an NHL fan with Bally Sports or AT&T SportsNet, you're OK — for now

Local broadcasts for the 14 NHL teams caught up in turmoil involving the futures of their respect regional sports channels aren't going anywhere, NHL commissioner Gary Bettman said Wednesday.
...
The plan, Bettman said at the NHL's general manager meetings, is for the 12 franchises partnered with Bally Sport Regional Networks, as well as the two partnered with AT&T SportsNet, to air the remainder of their games as scheduled on their current channels. Local broadcasts are produced and aired through the first round of the playoffs.
...
"Obviously, it's not inexpensive to run sports channels or (Diamond) wouldn't be in the situation that they're in. But in a combination of linear carriage and streaming, we can get the games out there," Bettman said. "And listen, we're in an era where the business model is evolving for local distribution of games in all the sports, and that's something we're going to have to address not just on a short-term basis, but on the long-term. And we will. We're prepared to do that."
...
"(AT&T SportsNet is) going to continue to carry the games (through the end of teams' seasons)," Bettman said. "As I said (regarding) any of the regionals, we believe based on everything we've been told — and we're in constant dialogue — that our games certainly through this regular season will be taken care of. And then once we get to the playoffs, there's national distribution."

The short term panic seems to be over as the NHL said in February they expected it would be.
As of February, the NHL said they had received most of the RSN $ for this season.
The national distribution of NHL playoff games doesn't rely on these RSNs.
So the NHL have until next season to sort out what they're going to do.
They can work out a deal in the Chapter 11.
They can work something out with ESPN. They've lined up options.
I still do not think this is as bad for the NHL as some were making it out to be.

If Schenn is willing to sign a cheap deal as a 7th defenseman, I'd be open to him coming back, particularly if Holl is leaving as a free agent.

Rielly/Liljegren/McCabe/Brodie/Timmins/Giordano/Schenn isn't the end of the world.

He will.  He isn't going to want to move on from the Leafs twice.

https://twitter.com/sunhornby/status/1636032916617584640

The Hockey News: Luke Schenn's Returns to Maple Leafs' Home Rink: 'Coming Into This Dressing Room, It's Surreal'

"Just walking into this building and coming into this dressing room, it's surreal," Schenn explained.
...
"I think I can draw on that experience to understand the preparation and work that needs to go into it," Schenn said. "I feel like I could step in here and play as soon as they need me."
...
"You're always kind of hoping the Leafs would give me a second chance, maybe the timing never worked out, maybe the timing wasn't right."
...
"My No. 2 Leafs jersey is probably now of the only jerseys that family and friends back home own over the course of my career so I wanted to try and put it to good use for them again."
...
":You appreciate what it means to play in Toronto, but not to the extend that I do now," Schenn said, "It comes with maturity and age and what I've gone through in my career. You realize how great of an organization this is. Not disrespecting others but this is as good as it gets as far as how they treat players, the passionate fanbase and everything that goes along with it."

If they want him, he'll come back.