Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Rasmus Sandin skates with the club for the first time since signing a new two-year contract on Thursday. Rasmus Sandin was all smiles as he stepped onto the ice at Ford Performance Centre on Sunday. The Swedish defenseman came to terms with the Toronto Maple Leafs on a new two-year contract worth $2.8 million on Thursday and it came as a relief to a player that wanted to play more than anything else. “I’d say there wasn’t a point without stress this summer, it was definitely stressful,” Sandin said “From the beginning of the summer I thought it was going to be done every single day and every single week. Now I’m here and I’m super happy about it,” Sandin became a restricted free agent on July 13 and was left to let the process of negotiation play itself out. He was in Stockholm, training with other NHL players until they all left for their respective camps. Sandin continued to skate with skills coaches. When he wasn’t on the ice, Sandin was trying to keep his mind off things happening across the Atlantic. Some of that included going for long walks in the woods by himself while foraging for chanterelle mushrooms. “I also got into some cooking and stuff, it was a big help, I didn’t have to go buy them in store.” But things changed when Sandin saw forwards Calle Jarnkrok and Alex Kerfoot play as defensemen when Jordie Benn (groin) and Carl Dahlstrom (shoulder went down to injury. He got on the phone along with his agent, Lewis Gros, and reached Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas to end the stalemate once and for all. Although the opening for Sandin to play immediately is evident, he wants to earn it. “I don’t expect to be in a bigger role or whatever because we have such good D,” Sandin explained. “It’s something I have to prove and I need to play good every single day to get a good role here.” In his first practice with the club, Sandin skated on the right side of the third pair with Jake Muzzin, It was the first practice of training camp that clearly separated the first-string of players from the rest (with some exceptions). “I feel comfortable on the right side and I felt better today than I thought I was going to,” Sandin said. Sandin skated in one game with the Maple Leafs on the right side last season. It was with Morgan Rielly on the first pair and it didn’t go well. He was a -2 in a 5-1 loss to the Buffalo Sabres. In fairness to Sandin, he didn’t get a lot of time to practice in the role and he was asked to do it for the first time in a difficult spot with more minutes. Trying it out on the third pair with Muzzin with just under two weeks of camp should help set Sandin up for success, should that defense pair stick. “It’s something we want to look at for sure,” Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe said of Sandin on the right. “I spoke with him about that to get him those reps. But we’ll see how it all shakes out and we’ll see where Rasmus is at.” Sandin, listed at 178 pounds last year, says he’s increased to 194 pounds. For a player who could already throw his body around, that could help bring more edge to his game. “I feel stronger and I feel better in my body overall.” Sandin will not suit up for the Maple Leafs when they travel to the Montreal to visit the Canadiens, but Keefe said the plan right now is to have him see action as soon Friday when the Maple Leafs take on the Detroit Red Wings in a home-and-home series to conclude their pre-season.
