On Wednesday night, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be heading to Dallas to take on the Stars. It is a big game for both teams as the Leafs currently sit two points shy of a playoff position while the Stars find themselves just two points behind the Colorado Avalanche for second place in the Central Division. It will be an interesting game for Stars defenceman Roman Polak, who previously spent parts of four seasons with the Leafs from 2014/15-2017/18.
Although known for being a great teammate and extremely hard worker during his tenure with the Leafs, the 33-year-old veteran made it clear he is not friends with any opposing players once the puck drops.
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“I'm going to hit everyone,” was Polak's response when asked about playing his former teammates.
From his response, it is very clear that Polak will do whatever it takes for his team to come out on top. Leafs fans and players alike saw the same battle level for years, including Auston Matthews.
“He was a great teammate,” said Matthews. “One of those scenarios where he's a guy you'd like to have on your team but not too fun to play against because like you said, he's physical. He doesn't mind giving you a couple crosschecks.”
Other than the physicality of Polak, the Leafs don't need to worry much about the Czech defenceman. Polak, who has never been known for his offensive abilities, has just four assists in 29 games this season. The prior season, his first with the Stars, Polak put up one goal along with eight assists in 77 games.
