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SPORTSCENTRE Reporter

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TSN Toronto reporter Mark Masters checks in daily with news and notes on the Maple Leafs. The Leafs and Stars held optional skates at American Airlines Center on Wednesday. 

It was just one year and seven months ago that Rasmus Sandin travelled to Dallas for the NHL draft, getting picked 29th overall by the Maple Leafs. 

"A lot of joy," he recalled. "I was here with my family, a couple friends too. It was an unreal experience. That's the first step you take towards the NHL and a big dream that you have since you start playing hockey so a lot of good memories from that. It's fun to be back."

Sandin admits he wasn't sure he could make the jump to the NHL this quickly, but the 19-year-old defenceman from Sweden is quickly proving this is where he belongs. 

"He's just so poised, nothing really shakes him," gushed Auston Matthews. "Every time he has the puck he makes a smart play. It doesn't matter if there's a guy trying to run him over, he'll make a beautiful play and then just step out of the way. He’s just so smart, skates well, just a dynamic player."

"Right now the intelligence he has with and without the puck is allowing him to succeed," observed coach Sheldon Keefe, "but we think where he'll take a step is being more comfortable and eventually, we think, dominant defensively in terms of his footwork and his skating and his strength, when that gets up to where his brain is at."

Sandin scored his first NHL goal in Monday's win in Nashville, also picking up a beauty assist on a goal by summer training partner William Nylander. He's now up to six points in 10 NHL games. 

Sandin also impressed the Leafs during training camp, earning a six-game audition in October. After dominating the World Juniors, Sandin now looks like he's here to stay. There's a belief, now, that this is where he belongs. The game has slowed down a bit. 

"I think that has a lot to do with how comfortable I am," Sandin said. "You always have a little more time than maybe you think so just trying to stay calm out there."

Sandin didn't feel as comfortable in his initial NHL taste. 

"Maybe one or two of those first games I felt comfortable 100 per cent and now, the second call-up, pretty much every game so far I think I've been comfortable. Just knowing the guys and knowing the league helps, so I feel comfortable."

In the last game before getting sent down in October, Sandin was levelled by a big Justin Abdelkader hit in Detroit. Mike Babcock, then the Leafs coach, expressed concern that the 5-foot-11, 183-pound teenager would be targeted by bigger and stronger players. 

"I'm not too concerned," Keefe said. "With the way that he sees the game and the way he uses his body, his positioning allows him to roll off those type of things, typically. Every now and then you're going to get caught, but I don’t see it being a trend."

Sandin isn't too worried either. In fact, he seems more concerned with sorting through the messages that flooded his phone on Monday night after his breakthrough moment. 

"I think I got a couple from my teachers from when I was eight or nine or something like that, so that was fun to get," he said. "I don't know if I want to go on social media now. Today, I think my phone would be blowing up even more."

Jason Spezza is doing his part to keep the rookie grounded. The pair went over some video today specifically an incorrect read by the kid on the power play. 

"He was wide open for a one-timer so he was just telling me to pass him the puck," Sandin said with a laugh. 

"I was giving him a hard time," Spezza said with a grin. "I said I talked yesterday about how good his hockey sense was and on the clip I'm waving for the puck and he looked me off, so can't be that good."

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It's also a big night for Spezza who returns to Dallas where he spent the previous five seasons. The Stars are planning a video tribute in the first period. 

"I didn't really think about it much, but it doesn't hurt to see yourself scoring a few goals when you’re playing a game," Spezza said. "I really enjoyed it here in Dallas."

Among his top memories are playoff round wins over Nashville and Minnesota as well as seeing close friend Jamie Benn win the scoring title. Spezza and Benn met up yesterday. 

"It's almost one of those things where you don't want dinner to end," Spezza said. "We just had a great bond right from Day 1. He's become one of my best buddies in the game."

"A great teammate," Benn said. "One of the best guys I've played with over my career. We spent some good times together and looking forward to playing him tonight. Just a good guy overall. He cares about every single player in that dressing room. He's a good family guy and good person overall."

Stars players marvel at how Spezza, a father of four, continues to be a student of the game even at this stage of his career. Tyler Seguin describes Spezza as a "hockey nerd through and through."

"Any time I wanted to talk hockey he's a guy I went to," Seguin said. "A little strange talking to him yesterday. He seems to be loving Toronto, and it’s been great for his family and stuff. So, hopefully I don't have to take too many faceoffs against him tonight."

That quote brought a smile to Spezza's face. 

"We spent a lot of time working on draws," the 36-year-old said. "He's gotten really good at them and that’s actually a sense of pride for me because we worked so much on it and he's one of the best right-handed draw guys in the league now."

The Stars rank fourth in faceoff percentage, with Seguin leading the way at 59 per cent. 

"I don't take as many draws as I used to and I'm not sure how many shifts I'll have against Seggy tonight, but it's good it’s in the back of his mind, I guess," Spezza said with a chuckle. 

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Tonight's game will be another test of Toronto's maturity. Can the young Leafs stick with their game plan against the stingiest team in the NHL? The Stars allow just 2.45 goals per game. 

"They do a good job of making it hard to enter their zone with possession," Spezza noted, "and then [Ben] Bishop plays it really well, so it's hard a forecheck on them. They also have a veteran team that's savvy and knows how to lock down games."

On Monday, the Stars managed to keep Tampa Bay's high-octane attack in check during a 3-2 overtime win. 

"We don't score a whole bunch and we're not worried about that," said Benn, who potted a pair, including the overtime winner against the Lightning. "We enjoy playing good team defence and, in the end, that’s what wins hockey games. We learned how to win later in the year last year and it’s kind of stuck with us this year."

Seguin leads Dallas in scoring with 37 points, which puts him on pace for 62 points. That would be Seguin's lowest total in a full 82-game season since his rookie campaign in Boston. 

"Definitely a mindset change," Seguin said. "The thinking of a good game has changed, personally. In the past it had always been goals, assists, statistics and now it’s a lot more faceoffs, the chances you're on the ice for, how much you're giving up when you're on the ice. You still love scoring goals and producing, but you realize that you love winning a lot more."

Seguin and the Stars learned the hard way. 

"We're a team, an organization that wanted to be offensive," Seguin said. "We tried that in the past. We tried to outscore teams, you know, in my career here and it just doesn’t work." 

The Leafs are tied with the Panthers for most goals scored this season. 

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Roope Hintz and Andrew Cogliano left Monday's game due to injury. Hintz is out tonight while Cogliano is questionable. 

Projected Leafs lines for tonight's game:

Hyman - Matthews - Marner 
Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander 
Johnsson - Engvall - Kapanen 
Moore - Gauthier - Spezza 

Muzzin - Holl
Dermott - Barrie 
Sandin - Ceci 

Andersen starts 
Hutchinson