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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 team (optional) skated at Scotiabank Arena on Friday. 

Frederik Andersen skated for the second straight day on Friday, working closely with goalie coach Steve Briere, but will remain sidelined this weekend with a neck injury.

"It was very positive, obviously, the fact he went out again today," said coach Sheldon Keefe. "The fact that he's skating every day is very positive."

However, there is still no specific timeline for the all-star's return. 

"Just day-to-day, because of the nature of it," Keefe explained. "It's really just a matter of when the medical staff and, most importantly, Fred, of course, feel comfortable with him getting into game action. But it's been, from what I'm told, very positive. The fact that he's wanted to get in the net and he's getting through all the drills and Steve's been pushing him hard and he's responding well."

 

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With Andersen out, Keefe confirmed that newly acquired goalie Jack Campbell may start both tonight against Anaheim and tomorrow in Montreal. The 28-year-old isn't expecting a big adjustment period with his new team.

"Honestly, our job is pretty simple: just stopping the puck. I was thinking about that during the meeting and going over the X’s and O’s and I just have to stop the puck," Campbell said. 

Campbell and winger Kyle Clifford, the other player traded to Toronto, met up with Jake Muzzin, who played with them in Los Angeles, and Mitch Marner last night for dinner. 

"Mitchy was nice enough to pick up that tab," Clifford said with his trademark toothless grin. "Hell of a guy."

Campbell digested the free food and some new information on what life as a Leaf will be like. 

"I talked to Muzz a little bit about their system and playing the puck behind the net and stuff like that, so got that figured out and time to have some fun and get it done," Campbell with a big smile. 

"I think the greatest challenge would be just overthinking it," Keefe said. "You're excited and all those types of things and you want to impress and then you kind of get away from yourself a little bit. So I think just finding a way to get comfortable, I think as a goaltender that's really important … When it comes to stopping the puck, the jerseys are different colours and all that kind of stuff, but the puck remains the same."

So do his pads. Although Campbell has a new mask ready to go, the Michigan native will stick with the other equipment he wore with the Kings. 

"I'm probably the worst in the league at breaking in gear so I'm just going to rock my old stuff for a little bit," Campbell explained. "I just like soft, older-school-style stuff and the only way to get it to the way I like it is practice."

Picked 11th overall by the Dallas Stars in 2010, Campbell took a while to find his footing in the NHL. He said Thursday that he needed to learn how to better process the pressure. Campbell played a career-high 31 games last season with an impressive .928 save percentage in Los Angeles.

"He's the hardest-working guy I've ever seen in hockey," Muzzin said. "I've trained with him in the summer the last two years down in L.A. and just his preparation, coming to the rink and throughout the summers and throughout practice, battling on every puck, extra work, early on the ice, all that kind of stuff."

Campbell, who is 8-10-2 with a .900 save percentage this season, comes by his work ethic honestly crediting his dad, who runs an electrical distribution company in Port Huron, Mich. 

"My dad led the way with that one," Campbell said. "Just watching him go to work at four or five in the morning and him coming home at seven or eight at night, you know, he's still doing it to this day."

 

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What message did GM Kyle Dubas send with Wednesday's move? 

"He's committed to us and we have to respond," said Muzzin. 

No one in the Leafs room knows Clifford and Campbell better than Muzzin who played his first eight seasons in Los Angeles. 

"Their work ethic and how hard they work will rub off on guys," the defenceman said. "Sometimes, because we have a really talented group, we rely on that too much (when) we need that work ethic to come in and take over games."

After two dispiriting losses to Florida and the New York Rangers, the hope is the trade will send a jolt of energy through Toronto's dressing room. 

"It's a disruption, but we're at a point where we think a disruption is healthy," Keefe said. "That's what we talked about this morning is we're just moving on from what we've been through here the last couple games giving up points and it's a chance for new blood and new energy in the room and a new opportunity for us to have a good weekend."

 

Clifford will start in the bottom six, but Keefe still hadn't settled on the exact lineup when he met the media. The hard-nosed 29-year-old adds a physical element to the forward group. 

"He's going to bring toughness," noted Muzzin. "He's going to bring grit, hard-working guy and that sandpaper that can go a long way in games."

"It's something that we don't have very much of," observed captain John Tavares, "and his strong suits can really apply to a lot of things we want to do just in a different way so it'll be a good addition."

Like Campbell, Clifford isn't expecting too many growing pains. 

"It's just adapting to a little different style of play, but it's going to come over time," he said. "I sat down with the coaching staff today just went over some system stuff and I think over time I will just adapt naturally."

After getting traded from L.A. to Toronto last year, Muzzin observed that switching conferences can take a bit of time to get used to, but Friday’s opponent should provide the Kings-turned-Leafs some comfort. 

"I'd like to see us have a little more jam," said Ducks coach Dallas Eakins. "It's weird, like, you come out East and it seems like everyone is small and fast, but we want to play with jam. We want to be in your face too, and I thought we could have brought more of that last night."

Playing with jam is Clifford's speciality and the native of nearby Ayr, Ont., should be fired up to make his debut. 

"I've always wanted to put a Leafs sweater on and win in a Leafs sweater and that’s the main goal," he said. "I'm really excited to be here."

The Ducks lost last night in Montreal with John Gibson in net, so Ryan Miller gets the start tonight.  

"Even though we got the great NHL excuse of back-to-back (games) we do want to come in here and take another step forward on this trip," Eakins said.

 

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Right-shot defenceman Josh Manson is No. 15 on TSN's trade bait list, but it doesn't sound like the Ducks are in any mood to move him.

"Just a fabulous human being, team-first, great leader in our room," raved Eakins. "He brings that grit and wee bit of nastiness that we enjoy in our organization. A lot of nights he's tasked with playing against the top players. He's just a guy who's hard to play against and those guys are extremely hard to find and my boss, (GM) Bob Murray, is just excellent at drafting defencemen. That's one there that's homegrown and a guy we highly value."

 

Projected Leafs lineup tonight:

Hyman - Matthews - Marner 

Kerfoot - Tavares - Nylander

Johnsson - Engvall - Kapanen 

Clifford - Spezza - Timashov 

Scratch: Gauthier 

 

Muzzin - Holl

Dermott - Barrie 

Sandin - Liljegren 

Scratch: Marincin 

 

Campbell starts 

Hutchinson

 

Injured: Rielly (broken foot), Mikheyev (wrist), Ceci (ankle sprain), Andersen (neck)