The Toronto Maple Leafs lost some of their goaltending depth when Aaron Dell was claimed off waivers earlier this season, and now the position group will be tested even further. Jack Campbell will be out “weeks” with a leg injury according to head coach Sheldon Keefe, who spoke to reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN before tonight’s matchup against the Calgary Flames. That means Michael Hutchinson is once again the team’s backup, while Joseph Woll has been recalled to the taxi squad.
Despite winning five of their first seven games and sitting tied for first place in the North Division, the Maple Leafs will shake up the lineup tonight with several changes. Travis Dermott, Jason Spezza, and Alexander Barabanov are all expected to come out in favor of Mikko Lehtonen, Joey Anderson, and Travis Boyd, the latter two getting their first game action of the season. Toronto has been outscored at even-strength this season and is looking to change that, though much of the responsibility will still fall to the likes of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, John Tavares, and William Nylander.
Campbell seemed to suffer the injury late in Monday’s game, just before the Matthew Tkachuk incident that incensed so many Maple Leafs fans. The 29-year-old had been oh-so-good for Toronto since arriving last season, posting a .917 save percentage in eight appearances. That’s not necessarily out of character, even if Campbell hasn’t quite lived up to the 11th-overall pick that the Dallas Stars used on him in 2010. Over 66 NHL games, he now has a .916 save percentage and was likely on his way to earning more playing time from the Maple Leafs.
Hutchinson meanwhile flamed out in Toronto a year ago, but managed to get his career back on track with the Colorado Avalanche when he was forced into action in the postseason bubble. In four appearances the journeyman netminder had a .910, leading to the Maple Leafs bringing him back as the fourth-string option this offseason. That four has turned into a two in the span of a week, meaning Frederik Andersen will need to carry the net for the next while.