In a bit of a surprising move, coming the day after the Leafs added a host of depth forwards to the team, they added a defender today. It’s likely fairer to say they converted a left-shooting tweener into a right-shooter, which the team needs more of.
Jordan Schmaltz, who turns 26 this fall, was drafted by the St. Louis Blues in 2012, 25th overall out of the USHL system. He then attended the University of North Dakota, where his coach was...wait for it... Dave Hakstol.
After finishing three years in the NCAA, he joined the Blues, but hasn’t been able to get himself onto the NHL team full time.