Leafs Watch

By LANCE HORNBY -- Toronto Sun TOUGH DEAL: Greg Andrusak and Terran Sandwith were signed to add depth on the Maple Leafs blue line, but with Bryan Berard and Dimitri Yushkevich holding out, they had a chance to earn the sixth and seventh jobs on defence during training camp.
The Cory Cross trade and Yushkevich's imminent return could leave Andrusak in the cold, a place Sandwith found himself when Berard came back on Wednesday.
General manager/coach Pat Quinn thought he was up front with the pair all along.
"He (Andrusak) knew what the situation was when he came in -- he was considered to be the seventh or eighth guy," Quinn said. "We didn't trick anybody. If he had come in and blown us away with his play, then it would be a different story. But he didn't and now he will fill the role he expected."
Andrusak, who began last season playing in Berlin and ended with a fine showing in the playoffs for Pittsburgh, said he was prepared to go to St. John's if necessary.
"I'm still on the 23-man roster (as of yesterday)," he said. "I'm disappointed, but it's a long season and I'll get my opportunity."
JUST A MINUTE: Quinn, who worked seven defencemen into the mix last night, scoffed at the suggestion he pays close heed to the amount of ice time each player gets during a game.
"The league needs those stats for (salary) arbitration (cases), more than I do," he said.
MAKING BERARD'S DAY: The arrival of Berard and the advent of four-on-four overtime creates a potential bonanza for the rushing defenceman. But Quinn said Berard won't throw caution to the wind.
"He has to be able to play (defensively) in that situation, too," Quinn said.
HAB BITS: Newest Canadien Mike Ribeiro is of Portuguese descent. His father, Alberto, came to Montreal in the 1970s to play for the Montreal Manic of the defunct North American Soccer League ... The Montreal media remain pessimistic about the Canadiens' chances this year. During the three-hour wait at the Molson Centre for the Habs to pick Saku Koivu as team captain last week,
the group started a pool, predicting the top 12 playoff teams in the Eastern Conference. Of 14 entrants, none picked Montreal to finish higher than 10th.

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