Defenceman Jani Hakanpää and forward Connor Dewar are getting closer to having a chance to make an impact with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season.
The Leafs have sent the pair to the AHL Marlies on an LTIR conditioning loan, the NHL team announced Friday.
The maximum time for this kind of loan is six days or three games.
Hakanpää has been sidelined with a knee injury, while Dewar has a shoulder injury.
The loan also give the Leafs more time to attempt to sort out their cap situation.
The Leafs signed Hakanpää to a one-year, $1.47-million deal this past summer. Dewar was re-signed to a one-year, $1.18-million contract.
The Marlies are in Cleveland on Saturday to face the Columbus Blue Jackets’ AHL affiliate and then don’t play again until Nov. 9.