Roman Polak and Matt Hunwick, who have been dubbed “Hunlak” as the season has worn on, have attracted an uncommon level of attention for third-pairing defencemen.



The major storylines in Leafsland are largely encouraging. The Leafs have mostly sailed along this season, on pace for an improvement into the 83-ish standings points range, which is well above last season’s finish.



The Leafs rookies have mostly looked comfortable, particularly the terrific trio of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander. Leafs “veterans” like Nazem Kadri, Leo Komarov, and James van Riemsdyk have settled into reliable roles that suit their skill sets.



Goaltending, a perennial problem in Toronto, has been improved as Frederik Andersen has settled into the starter’s role. He has posted above average results since early November and has provided some stability in the crease for the Leafs.



Yet, despite the taste of excitement,...