Rasmus Sandin was finally able to move his gear into the Maple Leafs practice facility dressing room.



For meals and meetings throughout training camp in Toronto, Sandin had been shuttling over to the big room in shorts and flip-flops from an auxiliary dressing room for players who were long shots and likely Marlies 25-30 steps down the way. On Monday morning, that was no longer necessary: the 19-year-old had his own stall next to Cody Ceci.



That Sandin is in the NHL only 15 months after Kyle Dubas traded down to pick him 29th overall in the 2018 draft is somewhat surprising. Zoom into what went down this fall though, following an impressive 18-year-old season in the AHL, and it’s not surprising at all.



Sandin looked ready to be a Leaf from the start.



He easily dusted more experienced types from the earliest days of camp in Newfoundland to win the fifth job on Toronto’s defence, a spot that’s vacant only because of Travis...