The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-claimed forward Seth Griffith off waivers. Subsequently, they have sent him to the Toronto Marlies of the American Hockey League.
The #leafs have claimed Seth Griffith off waivers.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 20, 2017
Seth Griffith, Waiver Veteran
Seth Griffith was claimed by the Maple Leafs on October 11 after the Boston Bruins placed the 23-year old on waivers. This started a year of uncertainty for Griffith. He lasted just over one month with the Leafs (three games) before being placed on waivers by Toronto.
He was claimed by the Florida Panthers, moving up and down their lineup following the firing of Gerard Gallant. At the peak of Griffith’s Florida stint, he played on the top line with Jaromir Jagr and Aleksander Barkov. However, he never put up the points to stick around, with just five assists in 21 games.
Yesterday the “Griffith Experiment” down in Sunrise ended, with his placement on waivers. The Maple Leafs had first priority due to Florida plucking him from Toronto. A Leafs claim on Griffith meant he was Toronto property again, but there is more to it than just Toronto claiming him back. If no other team placed a claim, the Leafs would be able to send Griffith to the American Hockey League without waivers.
To the Maple Leafs’ benefit, no other teams placed a claim on Friday. Griffith, as expected, has been sent to the Marlies.
The #leafs are sending Seth Griffith straight to the AHL Marlies.
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) January 20, 2017
Importance to the Marlies
Griffith will be a vital addition to the Marlies lineup. Last year with the Providence Bruins he finished second in AHL scoring with 77 points in 57 games. Chris Bourque, the leading AHL scorer last season, finished with three more points in 15 more games. Needless to say, Griffith was one of the most productive AHL scorers last year, and the Marlies are desperately hoping he can help them push back towards a playoff spot.
It has yet to be seen whether Griffith will play for the Leafs at some point in the future. The pending RFA needs to have a great second half to prove his worth to the Maple Leafs, or any other potential NHL teams.
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