Very strange doings today at the Leafs practice in Vancouver.

This game is the last genuine opportunity to get the prospects into a game before the focus has to be get the new Maple Leafs acquired at the deadline into the game. The expectation is that Nick Foligno will join the team for Thursday’s game in Winnipeg. Ben Hutton might be available as well.

Frederik Andersen could make a return to game action, and if he does, it becomes even harder to fit anyone not in the absolute core of the team on the ice in a game. As someone who was skeptical about his health, this is good to see. If this was all just an LTIR dodge, and a time for Andersen to rest, well, that’s good.

(Yes this mask is actually white, but I’m not changing the headline now.)

Meanwhile, what we all want to know is not what experimental lines will Sheldon Keefe trot out, only to change them all again tomorrow, but how is Zach Hyman?

Could be worse.

Remember the LTIR rules: minimums are 10 games played, and 24 days. The next 10 games covers from now to the second last game on May 12, which is almost a month. Before the next game is that last day he can be assigned to LTIR rules as you may not assign a player to LTIR with fewer than 10 games remaining.

We should likely assume they won’t use LTIR. But this might mean no Andersen in a game before Hyman is back.

When we know more, we’ll tell you.

In other news, the reason for the grey is this: