Five Key Stories: 11/25/19 – 12/01/19
With the quarter pole of the season in the rear view mirror, teams have had plenty of time to evaluate their rosters and early performances and changes are starting to be made. That has been the overarching story of the week, as some clubs made moves – both long- and short-term – while others are preparing to do so.
Flames Fire Bill Peters: Well, not technically. Calgary accepted the resignation of their head coach, who was mired in scandal following an investigation into allegations of racist comments made while serving as an AHL head coach in the Chicago Blackhawks organization and further accusations of physical abuse while head coach of the Carolina Hurricanes. The league will continue its investigation, but Peters days as an NHL coach are likely over regardless. While the veteran coach offered an apology for the incident in Rockford, the victim of the attack, Akim Aliu, called it “misleading, insincere and concerning”, which was likely the nail in his coffin. Geoff Ward takes over as interim head coach for the Flames, an under-performing team that had enough concerns of their own without dealing with off-ice controversy.
Bruins Extend Coyle And Wagner: The league-leading Boston Bruins signed a pair of local products to contract extensions, inking 2019 trade acquisition Charlie Coyle to a six-year, $31.5MM deal and 2018 free agent addition Chris Wagner to a three-year, $4.05MM deal. The 27-year-old Coyle, who won over the home crowd with a dominant playoff run last year, is now in place to likely succeed David Krejci and/or Patrice Bergeron as a top-six center for the Bruins, unless the versatile forward shifts to the right wing long-term instead. Meanwhile, the Bruins have always shown a willingness to invest in their fourth line and clearly feel Wagner can continue to be an effective checker and penalty killer for years to come. The team can now solely turn their attention to re-signing Torey Krug with these deals complete.
New Jersey Willing To Move Hall: The 2019-20 season has not gone as planned for the New Jersey Devils, who added considerable talent this off-season but have yet to see the on-ice impact. As a result, 2018 Hart Trophy winner Taylor Hall, the top impending free agent in this summer’s class, has become the most talked-about name on the trade market. The team is officially listening to offers, with most pundits expecting that he will be traded and perhaps sooner rather than later. Hall has had the misfortune of never playing for a true contender thus far in his career, but could wind up participating in a playoff run this year as a highly sought-after rental target. His former team, the Edmonton Oilers, are considered a possible landing spot, as are the Colorado Avalanche, Montreal Canadiens, and defending champion St. Louis Blues. More teams are sure to be in the running as the Hall sweepstakes heat up.
Dumoulin Out Eight Weeks: The Pittsburgh Penguins suffered yet another injury blow on Saturday as defenseman Brian Dumoulin sustained an ankle injury that required surgery and will leave him sidelined for eight weeks. The Penguins lead the NHL in man-games lost this year and the loss of Dumoulin is a major blow. The underrated defenseman is one of the premier shutdown defenders in the league and allows for pair mate Kris Letang to truly play his game. With Justin Schultz already out, not to mention Sidney Crosby and Nick Bjugstad, and Erik Gudbranson recently traded, Pittsburgh will be shorthanded on the blue line for a while.
Also in the Metropolitan Division, the Columbus Blue Jackets lost dynamic defenseman Zach Werenski to an upper-body injury that will keep him out of action for at least four weeks.
Puljujarvi, Honka Not Playing This Season: The December 1 5:00PM ET deadline came and went and restricted free agents Jesse Puljujarvi of the Edmonton Oilers and Julius Honka of the Dallas Stars had not been signed. As a result, neither young Finn can play in the NHL this year. Both the Oilers and Stars have been trying to find a trade partner for their disgruntled young players, but to no avail. Neither team was willing to give their RFA away, even if that meant potentially not being able to trade them until the off-season. Both Puljujarvi and Honka have yet to live up to expectations in the NHL, but are playing well in Finland this season. This is likely not the last we’ve seen of either player in North America.
PHR Originals: 11/25/19 – 12/01/19
In an otherwise quiet week for news and action, with three different days of three games or less, PHR’s writers stayed busy with some original articles:
Brian La Rose began our annual holiday series “What Your Team Is Thankful For”. Going alphabetically, he took a look at Anaheim, Arizona, and Boston. The league leading Bruins obviously have plenty to be thankful for, but so too do the Coyotes, who currently hold a top-ten record in the NHL. There’s room for improvement in Arizona, but the team has to be happy with how the season has gone thus far. Anaheim however has a hefty wish list this holiday season, needing more out of their young forward corps and a difference-maker on defense. Stay tuned for more write-ups from Brian on the other 28 teams as we march toward 2020.
Sticking with the holiday theme, I outlined the recent trend of the standings at American Thanksgiving being a strong playoff predictor and asked who could be the outlier teams that qualify for the postseason this year after missing the mark on Turkey Day. The readers responded very favorably toward one team in each conference – the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Vegas Golden Knights. If only those two teams turn things around this season, then the current standings already reflect 14 of 16 playoff teams.
Gavin also offered a poll to the readers, asking who might be the early favorite for the Hart Trophy this season as NHL MVP. Gavin detailed the accomplishments to this point in the year of a number of the game’s biggest names, but voters gravitated toward two forwards on ungodly scoring paces. Edmonton’s Connor McDavid already has almost 50 points and is currently on pace for 144 points, while Boston’s David Pastrnak has 24 goals in 26 games and looks poised to score 75+ goals at this rate. However, do the presences of Leon Draisaitl and Brad Marchand also among the league’s top scorers hurt their teammates’ Hart cases? Could the likes of Nathan MacKinnon and John Carlson swoop in as more “valuable” candidates?
In my bi-weekly piece, I took a look at the happenings in college hockey of late. As Hockey East teams continue to underwhelm this year, especially Boston University, other northeast schools have filled the top-ten void in Cornell, Clarkson, and Harvard. Meanwhile, Minnesota may not be a top contender in the Big Ten this year, but added another talented recruit to an impressive incoming class. And college hockey will continue in Alaska, at least for now.
Finally, Gavin hosted his weekly chat, with topics ranging from coaches on the hot seat, the sustainability of upstart teams, and franchise building blocks. The Red Wings, Predators, and Senators received some special attention in yet another great segment.
For all of the original work from PHR’s writers, be sure to keep up with all of the action each and every day!
Eastern Notes: Hughes, Backstrom, Dumoulin, Clifton
The New Jersey Devils will be without their top rookie for a second straight game as head coach John Hynes revealed that center Jack Hughes will not play against the Buffalo Sabres Sunday, according to The Athletic’s Cory Masisak. Hynes did suggest that Hughes may be available on Tuesday against Vegas.
No one is sure when or how Hughes got hurt, other than it is considered to be a lower-body injury. Hughes, the No. 1 overall pick in this year’s draft, hasn’t been as dominant as the team has hoped although the 18-year-old has flashed some elite skills and should be a building block for the team in the future. Hughes currently has four goals and 11 points in 24 games.
- The Washington Capitals are expected to get forward Carl Hagelin back from LTIR for Tuesday’s game at San Jose, but The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir reports that the team is hoping to get back center Nicklas Backstrom as well. The veteran forward will travel with the Capitals on their West Coast road trip and Backstrom’s return hinges on how things will go in practice on Monday.
- TribSports’ Seth Rorabaugh suggests that the injury to Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Brian Dumoulin, who underwent surgery to repair lacerated tendons in his ankle earlier today and will be out for eight weeks, could be construed as good timing, if such a thing is possible. Assuming the eight-week timetable holds up, Dumoulin would be out during the holiday break and during the team’s bye-week at the end of January.
- The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa (subscription required) writes that the Boston Bruins had a tough decision to make as defenseman Connor Clifton is within one game of playing his 60th game of his career (playoff games count). Once he plays that game, which is expected to be today given the team’s announced lineup, the Bruins will be required to pass the blueliner through waivers to send him to the AHL. The problem is that despite playing well, the team is expected to get John Moore and Kevan Miller back sooner than later with Moore currently on a conditioning stint with Providence Bruins. To slow the process, Boston has been swapping Clifton with Steven Kampfer, but as Shinzawa suggests that the Bruins have a better chance of winning with Clifton in the lineup. While Clifton has just two goals on the season, he does have 44 hits in 22 games.
Minor Transactions: 12/1/19
When thinking of the Minnesota Wild and their history, several players may come to mind, but perhaps one of the most significant is Mikko Koivu, who has played his entire career in Minnesota and will be playing in his 1,000th game as a member of the Wild. The 36-year-old has struggled over the last couple of years with injuries and a decline in play (although he remains a solid defensive center), but he hits a major milestone Sunday when the Dallas Stars come to town.
- The Washington Capitals announced they have re-assigned forward Beck Malenstyn and defenseman Christian Djoos to the Hershey Bears of the AHL. The move is likely a precursor to the team getting back some of their veteran players in the coming days. The team is expected to activate Carl Hagelin off of LTIR prior to Tuesday’s game against San Jose, while center Nicklas Backstrom is also near a return.
- The Boston Bruins announced the team has assigned defenseman John Moore to the Providence Bruins on a LTIR conditioning loan. Moore has been out all season after undergoing offseason shoulder surgery and now is close to returning. The team also announced that they have assigned forward Jack Studnicka to Providence as well. Studnicka made his NHL debut on Tuesday, picking up his first NHL point. The 20-year-old has nine goals and 18 points in 21 AHL games as well.
- The Detroit Red Wings announced they have recalled defenseman Jonathan Ericsson from the Grand Rapids Griffins of the AHL and returned goaltender Calvin Pickard there. Ericsson was assigned to Grand Rapids on Saturday, likely a paper transaction, while Pickard can now be returned after the Red Wings acquiregoaltender Eric Comrie in a trade.
- The St. Louis Blues have assigned defenseman Derrick Pouliot to the San Antonio Rampage of the AHL. The 25-year-old has dominated for the Rampage this year, scoring 18 points in 20 games and appeared in back-to-back games with the Blues this weekend. With Robert Bortuzzo back from his four-game suspension, Pouliot wasn’t needed anymore.
- With Travis Hamonic nearing a return, the Calgary Flames have returned Alexander Yelesin to the minor leagues. Yelesin has yet to get into an NHL game with the Flames, but has two points in 15 games with the Stockton Heat in his first year of North American professional hockey.
Atlantic Notes: Berglund, Backes, Coburn, Anderson
In a feature aired on Hockey Night in Canada Saturday, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston looks at the unusual story of Patrik Berglund, who a year ago opted out of the final three years and $13.03MM of his contract with the Buffalo Sabres to quit hockey, Berglund claims that it was no decision at all.
“I don’t know how much money you need to be happy, but I’m good,” said Berglund.
The 31-year-old Berglund had spent his previous 12 years with the St. Louis Blues and had a modified no-trade clause with the ability to reject 20 teams in any proposed deal. Unfortunately, the Blues were able to get around the no-trade clause as it was voided when Berglund failed to turn in his list of teams before the set deadline. Johnston reports that the trade affected him greatly.
He struggled in Buffalo, eventually getting scratched, before he finally decided he had enough. He decided in mid-December last year that he had enough and walked away. The Sabres fined and suspended him at first, but eventually the two sides agreed to mutually terminate his deal.
Bergund now is captain of Djurgardens in the SHL, where he makes quite a bit less than what he would make had he remained with the Sabres.
- While many will always think of the hit that Ottawa Senators forward Scott Sabourin took on Nov. 2, many have forgotten that the other player in the frightening collision was Boston Bruins forward David Backes, who has now sat out 13 games with an upper-body injury. Backes believes he is very close to returning to Boston’s lineup, claiming that he might be ready to return on Sunday against Montreal, although head coach Bruce Cassidy will make the final decision, according to NHL.com’s Eric Russo. The 35-year-old Backes has only played in eight games for the Bruins this year, while averaging just 8:17 of ATOI.
- There were some questions of the status of Tampa Bay Lightning defenseman Braydon Coburn who left Friday’s game against the Capitals with a lower-body injury after being clipped. While the team was hoping the injury would be day-to-day, the Lightning announced that Coburn will be out indefinitely. Coburn hasn’t received the playing time that the 34-year-old is used to. After averaging more than 16 minutes of ATOI over the past four years, he is averaging only 13:40 this season in 17 contests despite signing a two-year extension this summer with the team. The fact that he’s at the bottom of the depth chart, might make him a little easier to replace if he is out longer than the team hoped for.
- After the Ottawa Senators placed starting goalie Craig Anderson on injured reserve on Thursday, the Ottawa Sun’s Bruce Garrioch reports that the veteran goalie won’t necessarily be out long. The scribe writes the Anderson joined the Senators on their road trip and the 38-year-old skated with the team Saturday, suggesting he may be ready to return soon. The team started Marcus Hogberg tonight in his place.
What Your Team Is Thankful For: Boston Bruins
As the holiday season approaches, PHR will take a look at what teams are thankful for as the season heads past the one-quarter mark. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We’ll examine what’s gone well in the early going and what could improve as the season rolls on for the Boston Bruins.
What are the Bruins most thankful for?
While you need more than one line to carry a team, the trio referred to by some as the ‘Perfection Line’ has given Boston enough firepower to win some games even when the rest of the team isn’t contributing much. Wingers Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak are on pace to push for 130 points which would obliterate their previous career highs and currently has them third and fourth in league scoring. Meanwhile, center Patrice Bergeron is ‘only’ averaging 1.14 points per game, a 101-point pace over a full season (although he is currently out with a lower-body injury). Combined, the trio has collected 50 goals in 26 games which accounts for over half of their total on the season. That type of firepower is tough to sustain but given how effective this unit was last year, they could be capable of maintaining this.
Who are the Bruins most thankful for?
Rather than just repeating the above, Boston is also quite thankful for their goalie tandem of Tuukka Rask and Jaroslav Halak. Rask has struggled in the past with higher workloads which is why Halak was brought in two summers ago and it’s hard to argue with the results. Rask didn’t wear down as the playoffs went along and posted stellar numbers as they reached the Stanley Cup Final and is off to a very strong start this season as well. Halak, meanwhile, posted his best save percentage in seven seasons last year and is on track to improve upon that this season. Despite a litany of injuries on the back end, the Bruins have allowed the third-fewest goals in the league largely thanks to top-notch goaltending on a nightly basis.
What would the Bruins be even more thankful for?
An end to the seemingly-annual tradition of trying to chase down secondary scoring when their internal options don’t produce enough. The Bruins have afforded ample opportunities to their younger players in recent years but the results have largely been sporadic and have resulted in too much pressure being put on their top line. The acquisition of Charlie Coyle was supposed to help solve that and while he has helped, it’s still an issue. Regardless, they like what he’s provided as he signed a six-year extension earlier in the week. Even with him in the fold though, they need someone else to pick it up or GM Don Sweeney will once again be searching for a middle-six winger with some scoring tough between now and the trade deadline.
What should be on the Bruins’ Holiday Wish List?
Beyond that scoring winger, Boston is going to be hoping for an influx of spending around the league to yield a higher salary cap for next season. The Bruins already have more than $65MM in commitments to 15 players for next season with blueliner Torey Krug in line for a sizable raise while Halak will need a new deal as well. A bigger increase in the salary cap will be needed to keep this group intact so their Holiday Wish List likely consists of many fans around the league getting whatever is on their Holiday Wish List with the associated boost in HRR increasing the jump in the Upper Limit for 2020-21 to give them a better chance of keeping the core together.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Poll: Which Teams Will Buck The Thanksgiving Playoff Trend In 2019-20?
Just how important is playoff position in just the second month of the regular season? Very, if you look at recent results. Over the past six years, more than 70% of teams in a playoff position at American Thanksgiving have held on to their spot. While last year was slightly below the mark – 11 of 16 teams (69%) in a playoff position on November 22 qualified – the standings at the time were even more predictive than usual. The Lightning, Predators, Flames, Maple Leafs, Jets, and Sharks all finished in the same divisional seed that they occupied at Thanksgiving.
So who were the outliers in 2018-19? Obviously, the St. Louis Blues’ return from the basement of the league standings to win the Stanley Cup is a story that will stand the test of time. However, four other clubs also turned their seasons around: the Islanders, Penguins, Hurricanes, and Golden Knights. And the teams whose seasons took a turn for the worse: the Sabres, Wild, Rangers, Canadiens, and Ducks. Ironically, the Canadiens were narrowly inside the playoff window on Thanksgiving and ended up just barely outside in the spring. Meanwhile, the Ducks, Oilers, and Coyotes were all tied for the lowest playoff-qualifying record on Thanksgiving, with the Ducks getting the tiebreaker at the time, and all three failed to qualify for the postseason.
This season has gotten off to an unpredictable start, which could potentially threaten to derail the Thanksgiving trend. Several teams considered Cup contenders are currently outside the playoff picture, while multiple surprises currently occupy a spot. With Thanksgiving arriving tomorrow, this is the current status of the NHL standings (reminder – points percentage is the ideal way of viewing NHL standings):
Eastern Conference
M1 New York Islanders (.773)
A1 Boston Bruins (.771)
M2 Washington Capitals (.740)
M3 Carolina Hurricanes (.646)
A2 Tampa Bay Lightning (.619)
A3 Florida Panthers (.604)
W1 Pittsburgh Penguins (.625)
W2 Philadelphia Flyers (.604)
Outside the Playoff Picture: Montreal Canadiens (.563), New York Rangers (.545), Columbus Blue Jackets (.522), Buffalo Sabres (.521), Toronto Maple Leafs (.520), Ottawa Senators (.479), New Jersey Devils (.435), Detroit Red Wings (.327)
Western Conference
C1 St. Louis Blues (.680)
P1 Edmonton Oilers (.673)
C2 Dallas Stars (.615)
C3 Colorado Avalanche (.609)
P2 Arizona Coyotes (.620)
P3 Vancouver Canucks (.560)
W1 Winnipeg Jets (.604)
W2 Nashville Predators (.543)
Outside the Playoff Picture: San Jose Sharks (.540), Chicago Blackhawks (.521), Anaheim Ducks (.500), Vegas Golden Knights (.500), Calgary Flames (.481), Minnesota Wild (.480), Los Angeles Kings (.417)
2018-19 playoff teams jump off the page as potential candidates to disrupt the status quo. Particularly in the Pacific Division, it is hard to image none of the Golden Knights – who beat the Thanksgiving odds last year – the Sharks or the Flames will make the playoffs, especially as they look up at the Oilers, Coyotes, and Canucks. There could also be hope in West for the Ducks and Blackhawks, who sit at .500 currently. Over in the East, the Maple Leafs stick out like a sore thumb among non-playoff teams and could be line for improvement following their coaching change. But will it be enough given their difficult start? The Canadiens will also hope for a reverse of fortunes from last year, going from first team out in the conference at Thanksgiving to in the postseason come April. The Sabres have started hot and collapsed two years in a row, but there is still time for them to turn things back around. All three Atlantic clubs see a Panthers team with plenty of problems ahead of them in the standings right now. Meanwhile, the Rangers and Blue Jackets will look to make an unlikely run to the postseason as they chase down the Flyers.
What do you think? Which of these teams will find their way into the playoff picture and which will fall victim to the Thanksgiving postseason trend? Select as many teams below as you like, but remember that for every addition, there has to be a subtraction of a current playoff team.
Which Teams Will Buck The Thanksgiving Playoff Trend?
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Maple Leafs 21% (279)
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Golden Knights 19% (252)
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Sharks 10% (134)
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Blackhawks 9% (113)
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Rangers 8% (106)
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Canadiens 6% (81)
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Sabres 6% (76)
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Flames 6% (76)
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Kings 4% (49)
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Blue Jackets 3% (43)
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Wild 3% (34)
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Devils 2% (25)
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Ducks 2% (22)
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Red Wings 2% (22)
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Senators 1% (9)
Total votes: 1,321
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Boston Bruins Extend Charlie Coyle, Chris Wagner
The Boston Bruins have reached extensions with two of their veteran forwards, signing Charlie Coyle for an additional six years and Chris Wagner for three. Coyle’s new contract will carry an average annual value of $5.25MM while Wagner’s carries an AAV of $1.35MM. Both players were scheduled to become unrestricted free agents after this season.
Coyle, 27, will now be under contract through the 2025-26 season and locked in as a core piece for the Bruins to build around. The versatile forward can play wing or center and adds a well-rounded game to the group, even if he did struggle offensively early this season. Lately, including last night at Montreal, Coyle has been able to support the team’s top unit by creating secondary scoring further down the lineup and adding another weapon on the powerplay.
Acquired from the Minnesota Wild last season in exchange for Ryan Donato, Coyle was a huge part of the Bruins’ Stanley Cup run, scoring 16 points in 24 games and tying for the team lead with nine goals. Add that postseason success to the fact that Coyle is from Massachusetts and bleeds the black-and-gold and there was always a match to be made.
Wagner meanwhile has finally found a home with the Bruins after bouncing around the NHL through the early part of his career. The 28-year old played 76 games for Boston last season and recorded 12 goals and 19 points, but was an effective bottom-six option for the team. Another Massachusetts boy, his new deal keeps him under team control through the 2022-23 season for a more than reasonable price.
There’s risk in any signing the length of Coyle’s, but the Bruins have bought themselves wiggle room with other excellent deals in the past. Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak are legitimate contenders for the Hart Trophy this season and cost a combined $12.79MM against the cap, an incredible bargain in today’s NHL. Though they have other players needing new deals—namely star defenseman Torey Krug, who is scheduled for unrestricted free agency—these two new cap hits shouldn’t hinder their ability to sign whoever they want.
Ryan Whitney of the Spittin’ Chiclets podcast was first to report that the deals were close.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Snapshots: Three Stars, Draft Rankings, McKee
The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week and once again a member of the Boston Bruins “Perfection Line” has taken the top spot. Brad Marchand is the first star after a seven-point week, taking him to 39 on the season in just 23 games. Marchand also leads the NHL in +/- with a +17 rating and looks like he could be in legitimate contention for the Hart Trophy this season.
Second and third place go to Connor McDavid and Brock Nelson respectively after each posted four-goal weeks. While Nelson doesn’t get quite the same press as a player like McDavid, he has still been quite effective for the New York Islanders this season with 19 points in 21 games including four game-winning goals.
- Alexis Lafreniere may be the presumptive first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL Entry Draft, but Craig Button of TSN argues that Quinton Byfield and Yaroslav Askarov should both be considered contenders for the spot. Button contends that if a team really values the center position Byfield should be the pick, going so far as to say he “can’t imagine a scenario” where a center-needy team doesn’t go with the 6’4″ pivot. Askarov meanwhile is the best goaltending draft prospect since Carey Price according to Button.
- The Kitchener Rangers have fired head coach and former NHL defenseman Jay McKee, naming general manager Mike McKenzie the interim bench boss. McKee, who played over 800 games in the NHL, took over as head coach of the OHL’s Rangers in 2016 and took them to the playoffs in three consecutive seasons.
Minor Transactions: 11/25/19
A new week is upon us in the NHL and nine games will kick things off tonight. That schedule includes the struggling Calgary Flames heading to Pittsburgh to try and get another win to slow the bleeding, while the super-hot Dallas Stars welcome the Vegas Golden Knights into their arena. With plenty of action on the schedule we’ll keep track of all the minor moves teams make to prepare.
- The Chicago Blackhawks have recalled Matthew Highmore from the minor leagues, his first opportunity at the NHL level since the 2017-18 season. That year Highmore played in 13 games for the Blackhawks and scored two goals, but missed most of last season with a shoulder injury.
- Riley Stillman has been sent back to the AHL by the Florida Panthers, while the team takes a few days off. Florida doesn’t play again until Wednesday, when they will try to stop their short two-game losing streak in its tracks.
- After just a couple of days in the minors for cap reasons, Morgan Frost and Joel Farabee have been recalled by the Philadelphia Flyers. Both players were in the lineup when the Flyers took on the Calgary Flames on Saturday and were sent down just to bank some cap space on the off day.
- The Buffalo Sabres have recalled Jean-Sebastien Dea from the AHL, giving them another option with Evan Rodrigues unavailable for tonight. While Dea gives the Sabres a fine option, the team is really testing their organizational depth with all the recent injuries.
- Daniel Carr has been recalled by the Nashville Predators, a little more than a month after he cleared waivers and was sent down. Carr absolutely tore up the AHL during that time, posting 21 points in 16 games. The 28-year old is an elite AHL offensive weapon, but has just 103 NHL games under his belt.
- Jack Studnicka and Brendan Gaunce have both been recalled by the Boston Bruins. The team will not have Patrice Bergeron, Brett Ritchie or Par Lindholm for their two-game road trip that starts tomorrow in Montreal.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Michael Hutchinson, sending Kasimir Kaskisuo back to the minor leagues. The backup goaltender usage under new head coach Sheldon Keefe isn’t clear, but the Maple Leafs do have a back-to-back situation coming up this weekend.