The Maple Leafs’ blue line keeps taking hits, and now a familiar name has landed on the waiver wire.
With injuries piling up on defense and Toronto coming off a 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils in front of its own crowd, the need for help has become impossible to ignore. The latest blow came with Ben Danford breaking his wrist and being out indefinitely, leaving the Leafs even thinner on the back end.
That’s where Cameron Crotty enters the picture.
Minnesota waived Crotty on Monday afternoon, just a short time after claiming him from the Ottawa Senators. He didn’t get into a game for the Wild, and while he has only seen limited action with Ottawa, he has played one game against Toronto in his career.
Crotty is 27, stands 6-foot-3 and weighs 212 pounds, giving Toronto size and shot-blocking along with something even more important right now: another body. He has one assist in 11 career games, all with Ottawa, but the Leafs are shopping for insurance, not a headline-grabber.
The contract also makes him easier to fit in. Crotty carries an $812,500 cap hit and is a pending free agent, so he wouldn’t affect Toronto’s tagging rules restrictions because his deal doesn’t count for next season.
The catch is timing.
There’s a strong chance Crotty goes back to Ottawa, since the Senators have the first right to reclaim him based on the claim-and-reassignment timeline. If Ottawa passes, Toronto would get a shot at him through waivers, which runs in reverse standings order.
For a Leafs team that badly needs help on the blue line and doesn’t have much financial wiggle room, Crotty checks a lot of boxes. The only question is whether Toronto gets to him before its old rival does.
In Other News...
Auston Matthews Sends Frustrated Message As Leafs Problems Keep Growing
The Maple Leafs are still searching for answers after another uneven night, this one a 4-0 loss to the New Jersey Devils that stretched their skid to three games and left them trying to steady a season that has already veered off course. Connor Hellebuyck was perfect for New Jersey, turning aside all 23 shots he faced, while Torontos issues with consistency and special teams again sat front and center as the club tried to explain why the same problems keep resurfacing.
Auston Matthews did not hide his frustration afterward, and his comments reflected a team that knows the excuses are starting to run thin. With injuries part of the backdrop, the captain said the current group has to take more responsibility for the results, a message that lands with extra weight when the losses keep piling up and the margin for patience keeps shrinking. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Just Lost A Young Blue-Line Option At The Worst Time
The Maple Leafs were already looking for help on the blue line, and Ben Danford had been one of the young internal options with a chance to work his way into the conversation. Instead, the Toronto Marlies defenseman is dealing with a broken wrist and is expected to be out week-to-week, a tough break for a player trying to stay on the radar at exactly the right moment.
For Toronto, the timing makes the injury sting even more. With the NHL club already managing injuries on defense, Danfords setback removes a possible call-up candidate from the mix and leaves the organization weighing other ways to patch together its blue-line depth while he recovers. [Read more 🡒]
Maple Leafs Face A Roster Decision That Could Define This Slide
The Maple Leafs early-season slide has pushed the conversation beyond effort and into roster construction, which is usually where the pressure starts to feel real. With the team looking for a spark, the discussion has turned to lineup changes that could give the offense a different look while also creating enough flexibility to address the blue line.
One idea gaining traction is a move that would alter both the top six and the back end at once, with the club weighing how to create room for a young defenseman who could help if a spot opens. The cap picture adds another layer to the decision, and it has put Dakota Joshua into the broader roster conversation as Toronto tries to find a combination that can steady the season before the slide gets any deeper. [Read more 🡒]