Wayne Simmonds absolutely decks Thomas Chabot in open ice, then fights Austin Watson

Wayne Simmonds is facing down the very real threat of losing his spot as a regular in the Leafs lineup. His best years are behind him, but his best chance of keeping a spot on this roster is by being a physical presence and strike fear into the hearts of the opposition like only he can. In the first period of Friday's pre-season game against the Senators, he did just that.

First, he stepped up and lowered the boom on Sens star defender Thomas Chabot in open ice, a hard, beautiful hit that sent Chabot flying. Chabot briefly left the game but did return at the end of the first.


Sens tough guy Austin Watson wasn't happy with the hit and made his feelings known to Simmonds on the next shift. The two warriors dropped the gloves and Simmer handled Watson easily, letting him know he doesn't much care about Watson's opinion of his play.



If Simmonds is going to keep his job as an NHL regular, this type of play will be a huge reason why. When the Wayne Train is on patrol, there are few in the NHL who can go toe to toe with him. The Scarborough native brings a lot to the game beyond the X's and O's. Will it be enough to keep him on the roster? That's the million dollar question..