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Up front, Hyman’s absence on the left wing could open the door further for Trevor Moore, or more physical specimens such as Mason Marchment or Pierre Engvall. Jeremy Bracco, the Marlies’ leading regular-season scorer, is primarily a right winger, as is Egor Korshkov, the 6-foot-4 Russian who has impressed in his only three AHL games to date.

“I hope (Dermott) gets back quick,” Sandin said. “I’m not really trying to focus on (a camp audition). This is where I am, in the playoffs. I just want to play as well as I can and take that into next year.”

Coach Sheldon Keefe does not think his players are looking too far ahead.

“I’m sure there will be a time when camp is approaching where those types of things guys will think about, that if they have a great camp, there’s more opportunity there to open the season. But I think our guys are focused on the task at hand. While individuals are going to be thinking about themselves and how (the Leaf injuries) may affect them, we have a really good group here that’s buying into everything going on.”

CARRY THAT WEIGHT

The only injury concern Jesper Lindgren had after winning the Finnish Elite League title last month before re-joining the Marlies was trying to lift the championship trophy. The nickel and silver plated ‘Kanada-malja’, donated by Finnish-Canadians in 1951, is a handful to hold aloft.

“I don’t know if you can carry that thing around alone,” said Lindgren, whose HPK team from Hameenlinna won a seven-game series against Karpat, run by Leafs winger Kasperi Kapanen’s dad, Sami. “I almost fell trying to lift it up.”