Toronto Maple Leafs-Luca Caputi: Hometown Kid in Heaven

Twenty-one-year-old 6’3”, 200-pound Luca Caputi, born in Toronto, Ontario, will have his life-long dream realized tonight as he takes to the ice at the ACC for the first time wearing the blue and white. 

Caputi has mentioned to reporters while growing up in Toronto and playing with the Mississauga IceDogs, now the Niagara IceDogs that he had hopes of playing for the Maple Leafs, which is now reality.

Caputi was drafted in 2007 in the fourth round 111th overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins, though he was projected as a higher pick. In 2007 with Niagara he had his best year in junior, tallying 51 goals 60 assists for 111 points.

Having the opportunity to play for the team he grew up watching has got to be exhilarating, and his adrenaline-driven play I’m sure at this point has been encouraging for Leafs Nation. Tonight’s game against Boston will be another test for the youngest team in the league and another opportunity to vie for roster spots next year.

After taking a shoulder to the head from Pittsburgh’s Matt Cooke, Boston’s Marc Savard will not play in Toronto tonight and the time line for his return to the lineup is questionable. Savard’s absence from the lineup for Boston certainly benefits Toronto as he is always dangerous.

I will be at the game tonight and will be looking for a section of Caputi fans who I am sure have been hounding Luca for tickets since his trade. Perhaps I can get an interview from a family member and get some inside information for all the BR readers.

Toronto should try to continue the success they had against Ottawa in their shootout win and hopefully limit some of the mistakes that contributed to their loss in Philadelphia which was due to a short mental lapse late in the second period.

Caputi wearing No. 33 and the rest of young buds should be fired up for this one, as games between two of the original six teams, Toronto and Boston, have always been a war.