Maple Leafs assign first-round pick Rasmus Sandin to AHL

NHL insider Chris Johnston explains why a long-term deal makes the most sense for both the club and player in these Maple Leafs-William Nylander contract negotiations.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have assigned 2018 first-round pick Rasmus Sandin to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL.

Defenceman Andrew Nielsen was also assigned to the Marlies. Forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev was loaned to the Peterborough Petes of the OHL.

The move seems to indicate Sandin will stick with the Marlies at least at the start of the season, similar to 2017 first-round pick Timothy Liljegren. The 18-year-old Swede, who finished last season with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL, is eligible to play in the AHL because he was on loan from his Swedish club Riga.

If Sandin doesn’t stick with the Marlies it’s expected he will play for Riga, which competes in the top league in Sweden.

Nielsen, 21, is set to play in his third season with the Marlies. He had six goals and 26 points in 65 AHL games last season.

Der-Arguchintsev, 18, was a third-round pick by the Maple Leafs in June. The Moskova, Russia, native returns for this third season with the Petes, where he had 12 goals and 51 points last season.

[relatedlinks]

When submitting content, please abide by our submission guidelines, and avoid posting profanity, personal attacks or harassment. Should you violate our submissions guidelines, we reserve the right to remove your comments and block your account. Sportsnet reserves the right to close a story’s comment section at any time.