Leafs’ Babcock says he’d like to have Matt Hunwick on team in 2017-18

Matt Hunwick set up Kasperi Kapanen beautifully for his first NHL goal that keeps the Leafs’ playoff chances hopeful.

Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock told reporters he would like to have defenceman Matt Hunwick back on his team in 2017-18.

Hunwick has been with the Leafs and Babcock for the past two seasons and has three goals and 29 points in 132 games with Toronto.

The pending free agent has moved up and down the Leafs blue line, but has most frequently played with shutdown defenceman Roman Polak on the team’s third pairing.

At the top of this post is an assist made by Hunwick on one of the Leafs’ biggest goals of 2016-17, tying the second-last game of the regular season against the Pittsburgh Penguins as the Leafs clinched their first playoff berth in four years.

Toronto does have holes on its blue line, but the NHL Expansion Draft gives the team many options to look at to reinforce its back end.

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