Reuters
Say so long to one member from the Toronto Maple Leafs last-place penalty kill.
The Leafs placed centre Philippe Dupuis on waivers on Monday afternoon with the intention of sending him to the minors, likely ending his time with the team.
Dupuis, signed in the off-season after spending last year with the Colorado Avalanche, played 30 games with the Leafs and didn't record a point.
In fact, he hasn't been on the ice for a 5-on-5 goal for in roughly 240 minutes of even strength ice time.
"If he clears waivers, he'll be playing for the Marlies," Leafs coach Ron Wilson said of Dupuis being on waivers. "We've got lots of bodies coming back from injuries and I want him to find his offensive touch again.
"Not so much in the NHL, but in the AHL, he's scored in the past. He put up some points in a limited role last year. This year it just hasn't worked out that way up to this point. With the people we have here right now, they can provide us with a little bit more offence."
Dupuis going to the Toronto Marlies frees up another roster spot for when Mike Komisarek, Mike Brown or Colby Armstrong returns from injury later this month.
Defenceman Korbinian Holzer was also sent to the minors on Monday.
Notebook
- Komisarek is getting close to a return from a broken arm and said he will be ready sometime this week. Brown, coming off back surgery, is also close. Wilson said he could see them both play by Saturday against Detroit.
- Expect Jonas Gustavsson to get the start Tuesday against the Tampa Bay Lightning. "We'll be spreading the goaltending out in the next little while," Wilson said.
- There was a very long meeting between the team's full coaching staff and all seven defencemen towards the end of Monday's practice, as they tried to sort out who was doing what in terms of killing penalties and blocking shots. Toronto's shorthanded play was so incredibly poor in December (64%) that it cost them at least a handful of points.
- Joey Crabb was bumped up to more of a scoring line in practice, something Wilson said was a reward for how he has played. He'll skate with Grabovski and Kulemin while Matt Frattin goes to the fourth line. Clarke MacArthur was with Matt Lombardi and Nazem Kadri.