Maple Leafs Quick Hits: Team Leaders, Brooks & Ovchinnikov

In this edition of Toronto Maple Leafs Quick Hits, I’ll look at three topics. First, I’ll look at the Maple Leafs team leaders as they head into tonight’s game against the St. Louis Blues. The last time the two teams met, the Maple Leafs won the game 6-5 on the road. Both Michael Bunting and John Tavares scored a goal, while the Blues’ Ryan O’Reilly scored two goals.

Second, I’ll look a bit at the travels of Winnipeg native Adam Brooks. The Maple Leafs clearly wanted Brooks back after the Montreal Canadiens claimed him off waivers prior to the first game of this season. However, it seems as if his hometown Jets needed him more.

Third, I’ll look at a new young Maple Leafs’ signee from Russia named Dmitri Ovchinnikov. The Maple Leafs signed him to a three-year, entry-level contract yesterday.

Quick Hit #1: Maple Leafs Leaders Headed into Tonight’s Game vs. the Blues

As the Maple Leafs head into a home game against the Blues, the team leaders include Auston Matthews, who’s leading the Maple Leafs with 59 points. He’s averaged just under a goal-a-game (0.8 goals per game) and he’s shooting at an efficiency rate of 16.6 percent. His first-line partner Mitch Marner has been on a bit of a scoring streak recently and now has 17 goals and 28 assists (for 45 points) and an average of 1.2 points-per-game.

John Tavares also is close to a point-a-game pace, and he now has 45 points through 46 games (17 goals and 28 assists). He’s quietly been a big part of Toronto’s offense this season. Finally, in his last game against the Pittsburgh Penguins, goalie Jack Campbell had probably his best game of the season. He now owns a record of 23-7-3, a goals-against-average of 2.33, and a save percentage of .924.

Quick Hit #2: Adam Brooks Finally Ended Up at Home In Winnipeg

As noted, the Maple Leafs wanted Adam Brooks in the organization, but it wasn’t to be. His second go-round with Toronto was short. In the end, the Winnipeg Jets claimed the youngster off waivers from the Maple Leafs Friday.

What a whirlwind for Brooks. It was the fourth time this season he’s been chosen off waivers. Follow this: the Jets picked him off waivers from the Maple Leafs on Friday. The Maple Leafs picked him up Wednesday from the Vegas Golden Knights. The Golden Knights had claimed him in November from the Canadiens. And the Canadiens had claimed him from the Maple Leafs in October.