After a less-than-ideal start to the season and on the tail-end of a back-to-back, the Toronto Maple Leafs are trying someone new between the pipes.
The Maple Leafs will call on goaltender Cayden Primeau to make the start against the Nashville Predators on Tuesday night, head coach Craig Berube told reporters ahead of the clash.
Primeau, who spent most of his summer with the Carolina Hurricanes, was claimed off waivers by the Leafs on Oct. 7 — the opening day of the NHL regular season.
He has yet to make a start in blue and white, with primary goaltender Anthony Stolarz getting the nod in the team's opening three games.
Last season, Primeau had a 2-3-1 record, with an .836 save percentage and a 4.70 goals-against average in 11 games with the Montreal Canadiens. He also had a 21-2-2 record, a .927 save percentage and a 1.96 goals-against average in 26 AHL games with the Laval Rocket.
His rights were traded to the Hurricanes by the Canadiens over the off-season.
The Leafs had been searching for goaltending depth after Joseph Woll took a leave of absence from the team. Veteran James Reimer was with the team in training camp on a PTO, with Dennis Hildeby serving as the backup for Anthony Stolarz.
Over his six-year career, the Farmington Hills, Mich., native has a 13-24-7 record in 55 games played — all of which came with the Canadiens — while carrying a 3.69 GAA and a .884 save percentage.
Additionally, Berube told reporters that centre Steven Lorentz will miss Tuesday's game after being held out of Monday's showdown against the Detroit Red Wings with an upper-body injury.
With Lorentz still out, rookie Easton Cowan is in line to make his second start with the Maple Leafs. The 20-year-old laced up on the top line alongside centre Auston Matthews and Matthew Knies in the 3-2 loss.
