The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed D Roman Polak to a one year, $1.1 million deal.
Polak was a part of the Leafs team that made the playoffs last year. But, he sustained a knee injury in the first round on a hit by Brooks Orpik, and had surgery. Polak signed a PTO with the team, and was well-liked throughout the locker room. Being a tough defenseman brings that, especially on a young team like this one. He had an astounding amount of hits last season with 232, and 303 the season before.
The one thing Leaf fans might not like is that this means that youngsters Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman could be sent to the AHL. If so, the Leafs\’ pairings would look like this.
Morgan Rielly – Nikita Zaitsev
Jake Gardiner – Connor Carrick
Ron Hainsey – Roman Polak
Toronto could do this, or they could keep one of Rosen or Borgman, and put them in for Hainsey or Polak on some nights. Preferably Hainsey since both Rosen and Borgman or left-handed, like Hainsey, and unlike the right-handed Polak.
Polak, 31, scored four goals and seven assists for 11 points in 75 games for the Leafs last season. In his NHL career for the Leafs, San Jose Sharks and St. Louis Blues, Polak has scored 23 goals and 92 assists for 115 points in 634 games.
CarterHud 