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Toronto Maple Leafs’ Roman Polak to have Surgery

By James Reeve

Apr 13, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak (46) skates with the puck as Washington Capitals right wing Daniel Winnik (26) defends in the third period in game one of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports
Apr 13, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Roman Polak (46) skates with the puck as Washington Capitals right wing Daniel Winnik (26) defends in the third period in game one of the first round of the 2017 Stanley Cup Playoffs at Verizon Center. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports /
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Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Roman Polak is out for the rest of the season and will have surgery on his injured leg.

Roman Polak suffered the leg injury in the second period of Game 2 of the Toronto Maple Leafs’ playoff series with the Washington Capitals, after colliding with defenceman Brooks Orpik.

It is believed that both veteran defencemen’s knees connected, with Polak falling awkwardly on the ice. It was announced by the Leafs after the game that Polak would miss the rest of the playoffs, but now it appears the injury requires more medical attention.

Polak, 30, is set to have surgery to fix the currently undisclosed injury and could miss an even longer period of time than previously thought.

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This new development could raise questions over Polak’s career, with the big-bodied Czech defenceman set to be an unrestricted free agent this summer.

Polak, who turns 31 this month, signed a one-year deal with the Leafs last summer to the tune of $2.25 million.

With such a serious injury coming so late in the season, it will be difficult for Polak to attract interest during free agency unless he is able to prove he can come back healthy.

The former St. Louis Blues and San Jose Sharks player is beginning to enter the latter stages of his career and is only really seen as a bottom pairing player in the NHL.

Polak has been ever-present, however, for the Leafs’ bounce-back season, playing in 75 games and picking up four goals and seven assists while averaging 17:55 time on the ice. His experience in the playoffs and willingness to work hard and be a team player could tempt someone, including the Leafs, to offer him a short-term deal in the summer.

If he is to attract interest from any team, however, he should expect to take a big pay cut. A $2.25 million cap hit for a 31-year-old bottom pairing defenceman returning from injury is likely to be too expensive for GMs across the league.

But the impact of Polak’s injury does not start with his future prospects this summer. With Nikita Zaitsev also recently suffering a brief injury scare, losing Polak could be more significant to the Leafs the further the team progresses in the playoffs.

If the Leafs can push the Capitals all the way to Game 7 of the first round, head coach Mike Babcock will be hoping his remaining defencemen can stay healthy. If the Leafs begin to struggle with injuries, their run in the playoffs could come to an end in a way that is not deserving after such a positive start.

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What do you think? How will losing Roman Polak impact the Toronto Maple Leafs? Will he bounce back from this surgery and secure a place on an NHL team next season? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.

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