Rasmus Sandin ‘Surprised’ by Trade from Maple Leafs, Eager to Prove Himself with Capitals

Rasmus Sandin said he did not expect to see himself moved from the Toronto Maple Leafs and told reporters in Anaheim on Tuesday that he was “surprised” to learn that he had been dealt to the Washington Capitals.

But now that he has joined the team, the defenseman is eager to prove himself worthy of a big role with his new team.

"It’s not just about coming here and be given that role that you want," Sandin told reporters in Anaheim where the Capitals took on the Ducks. "You have to earn it. I’m prepared for it and very excited about it."

Sandin admitted that he felt his season with the Maple Leafs got off to a bit of a slow start. Some of that may have been chalked up to the fact that he missed a portion of training camp while he and the Maple Leafs were involved in contract negotiations.

But the 22-year-old felt he proved his worth, particularly later in the season when he was called upon to play second-pair minutes as regulars like Morgan Rielly and TJ Brodie severed various stints on the injured reserve.

'I think I ended the Toronto time pretty well and tried to bring that over here as well," Sandin said.

Sandin, the Maple Leafs' first-round pick in the 2018 NHL Draft) was traded to the Capitals on Tuesday in exchange for veteran defenseman Erik Gustafsson the Boston Bruins' first-round pick in the 2023 NHL Draft.

The transition for the Sandin should be an easy one, as both Toronto and Washington play a similar style of defense, particularly in the neutral zone. He was unable to take part in the game against the Ducks on Wednesday as his work visa was still being worked on. Instead, he watched from the press box so he could pick up some subtle differences in Washington's setup.

"These guys (like Sandin) are great players, they have great hockey IQs and pick up stuff very quick," Capitals head coach Peter Laviolette said."He gets a chance to watch a game and observe it and sit down the next day and ask questions as well,"

Sandin's Capitals debut can't come soon enough. During the team's 3-2 loss against the Ducks, the team lost both defensemen Nick Jensen and Martin Fehervary to different injuries in the game.