Nick Blankenburg was signed over a week ago and has vanished despite a strong preseason, leaving questions about where he has been since the start of the season.
The Toronto Maple Leafs added Blankenburg on a PTO this past training camp as a way to add more mobility and speed to their blue line. He had a very solid preseason, appearing in both split-squad games including one game where he had an astounding eight blocked shots.
He'd be a great fit for the much faster and up-tempo Maple Leafs lineup we've seen so far this year, and if he's able to help settle things down in Toronto's end, then he'll be much more than just a mobile puck-moving defender who can help the offence.
Nick Blankenburg has vanished from the Maple Leafs
But so far, he's nowhere to be seen.
Blankenburg has yet to appear in any of Toronto's games this year, and despite the team's mixed bag of a start - hasn't earned a shot to...well earn his shot. Likely a replacement for Troy Stecher, the latter needs a bit of a break and throwing in Blankenburg would be beneficial.
He's been at every practice - even the optionals - but Jim Hiller has yet to find a spot for the defender.
Blankenburg, 28, had eight goals and 24 points in 71 games for both the Nashville Predators and Colorado Avalanche and has 58 points in 176 career games with Columbus, Nashville, and Colorado.
While Toronto isn't exactly in panic mode yet to make swift changes to their blue line, adding Blankenburg into the lineup even once during a four-game home stand would have given the crowd a bit of an idea of what to expect when he does come into the lineup.
When will Nick Blankenburg actually play for Toronto?
With a tough road trip ahead of them, it would behoove Hiller to at least entertain putting him into a game against either Vegas on Thursday or more likely, against Colorado on Saturday. With Friday likely being a long day for the team, adding a fresh Blankenburg who hasn't had any games to tire out will be important.
Plus, it would be a bit of a waste to spend the money if you aren't going to play him, and his preseason production shows that he can at least be a serviceable and relentless defenseman in his own end - something the Maple Leafs need help with a bit more.
It's hard to say when he will actually get into the lineup, and if Hiller is being as stubborn as he has all year, then it might be a little harder for him to break into games over someone like Stecher.
For now we need to wait and see when Blankenburg will actually suit up for the Maple Leafs, but it still doesn't answer the question as to where he's been. For someone who had that excitement level coming in - it's starting to die down with every game he sits in the press box.
Should the Maple Leafs start Nick Blankenburg on their Western Conference road-trip?
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