With the Capitals’ season over, Rasmus Sandin is back in Toronto to visit his former team. Sandin was spotted at the Maple Leafs’ morning skate as they prepare for their first-round series against the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Sandin played most of the season with the Leafs before coming to Washington at the trade deadline. According to a semi-viral tweet from Chris Johnston, Sandin was back in Toronto to “pack my s%#^.”
Rasmus Sandin is taking in today's #leafs practice along with some friends from Sweden. Traded to Washington at the deadline, he says he's back in Toronto to "pack my shit."
— Chris Johnston (@reporterchris) April 17, 2023
Alongside Sandin were members of Leafs’ management, including General Manager Kyle Dubas and Jason Spezza, who was a former teammate of Sandin’s before retiring and joining the front office.
Rasmus Sandin has returned to Toronto with some friends to watch his old team in playoffs, seen here greeting Leaf management. pic.twitter.com/du4EHlDCmr
— Lance Hornby 🇺🇦 (@sunhornby) April 17, 2023
Sandin was traded midway through the Leafs’ west coast road trip, with most of his belongings remaining in Toronto. This week’s visit may also offer an opportunity to catch up with his former teammates. He’s particularly close with the other Swedes on the team; the group shared an emotional goodbye when Sandin left for Washington.
During his Breakdown Day interview, Sandin said he would return to Europe for the summer. He could join Team Sweden at the 2023 World Championship next month in Finland and Latvia.
“We’ve had discussions about it, so we’ll see what’s going to happen,” he said. “It would definitely be an honor to go play in the Worlds.”
Sandin has enjoyed an elevated role in Washington and set a franchise record for points in his first four games with the team. He had nothing but good things to say about his new organization.
“It was very exciting coming to a new team, a new city,” he said Saturday. “I fell in love with it pretty quick. It’s been a hectic year, lot of things have happened, but it’s been a lot of fun too.”
The Maple Leafs will play Game One against the Tampa Bay Lightning on Tuesday night. The full first-round schedule is available here.
Headline photo: Katie Adler/RMNB
