Toronto Maple Leafs Claim Seth Griffith Off Waivers Again

For the second time this season, the Toronto Maple Leafs have claimed Seth Griffith off waivers.

After spending a couple of weeks in the sunshine state with the Florida Panthers, Seth Griffith is returning north of the border to join the Toronto Maple Leafs, who claimed him off waivers on Friday for the second time this season.

The Leafs originally claimed the 24-year-old forward off waivers on October 11, after the Boston Bruins placed him on the wire. He lasted all of three games with the Leafs and was eventually placed back on waivers after spending a month in the organization. The Panthers then claimed him off waivers and actually tried to utilize him.

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In 21 games with the Panthers, Griffith did not score a goal, but he registered five assists and spent a substantial amount of time playing with Aleksander Barkov and Jaromir Jagr. Although he didn’t post a strong stat line in Florida, he was a decent possession player, but you could likely attribute those stats to playing with Barkov and Jagr.

While he was playing in a top six role with Florida, that won’t be the case in Toronto, at least not with the Maple Leafs. Since the Leafs had Griffith on their roster earlier this season, and because no other team tried to claim him from waivers, Toronto is able to send him down to the Marlies without having to clear waivers, which they’ve already done.

Given the Marlies need for help on offence, and the fact that Griffith needs to play in order to develop, I think sending him to the Marlies makes sense. Plus, it gives him more time to ensure his concussion symptoms are completely gone. Concussions are a tricky injury to begin, but for a struggling player like Griffith, it’s imperative that the symptoms are fully gone.

Last year, he was one of the best players in the AHL, registering 24 goals and 53 assists in 57 games. While he won’t be spending a full season the Marlies, Griffith should see his fair of minutes with the Marlies and help fill the void left by Kasperi Kapanen, who is expected to miss an extended period of time.

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Barring an injury, I doubt we’ll see Griffith back in the NHL this season. But that isn’t a bad thing when you consider how his season has gone thus far. Either way, he’s another asset in the Maple Leafs’ organization.

What do you think of the Toronto Maple Leafs re-claiming Seth Griffith off waivers from the Panthers? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.