St. Louis Blues Expect Torey Krug Back For Regular Season
St. Louis Blues defenseman Torey Krug is expected to be ready to go for the 2023-24 campaign after sustaining a foot injury during offseason training, per NHL.com. The veteran defender was reevaluated yesterday, as per the team’s initial plan, and was cleared to play in tonight’s preseason contest against the Columbus Blue Jackets.
The news paves the way for the 32-year-old to assume his usual top-four role to begin the season, in all likelihood alongside Justin Faulk, his partner for the majority of three seasons in St. Louis thus far. Krug is coming off one of his worst seasons in recent memory, during which injuries limited him to 63 games and 32 points, the latter of which was tied for a career-low in a full season. His -26 rating was also, by far, a career worst.
In fact, injuries have become somewhat of a recent theme for Krug. He hasn’t played more than 70 games in a season since 2017-18 with Boston, up to which point he had been a rather durable player. Krug’s healthiest campaign as of late was when he suited up in 51 out of 56 games in the COVID-shortened 2020-21 campaign, his first with St. Louis.
He is entering the fourth season of a seven-year, $45.5MM contract he signed during free agency in 2020, which carries a full no-trade clause through 2025. That clause found its way into the spotlight this summer after Krug reportedly used it to block a deal with the Philadelphia Flyers that ended up going through anyway without him, seeing the Blues acquire center Kevin Hayes at half-price. There is still a chance if the Blues try again to trade Krug in-season if he can rebuild some trade value that he’d waive it for a different team, likely one closer to winning a championship.
Winning a championship is something Krug’s narrowly eluded throughout his career. His breakout came for Boston in the 2013 postseason, which saw them lose to the Chicago Blackhawks in the Stanley Cup Final. He joined the Blues in 2020, who were a year removed at the time from winning a championship in 2019 – one that Krug was also on the opposing side of with the Bruins.
Krug being healthy for opening night creates a significant roster crunch for the Blues, who will likely need to waive at least one of Robert Bortuzzo, Scott Perunovich, Calle Rosén, or Tyler Tucker to get under the 23-player roster limit.
Avalanche Expect Josh Manson Back For Season Opener, Pavel Francouz Still Sidelined
The Colorado Avalanche expect defenseman Josh Manson will be ready for the team’s season opener on October 11 in Los Angeles; however, they also confirmed backup goaltender Pavel Francouz will begin the season on the shelf, head coach Jared Bednar told reporters Monday. Neither player has appeared during preseason action thus far.
Manson has not suited up since Game 5 of the Avalanche’s first-round loss at the hands of the Seattle Kraken in seven games. Today, Manson told reporters, including NHL.com’s Ryan Boulding, that he tore an oblique muscle earlier in the series and could not continue playing through it, resulting in offseason surgery. Bednar mentioned last month that Manson is also rehabbing a separate lower-body injury.
Meanwhile, Colorado announced at the beginning of the offseason that Francouz had undergone adductor surgery and was expected to be ready in time for training camp, but that hasn’t happened. Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reported last month that the Avalanche were eyeing the trade market for goalie insurance as they no longer believed Francouz would be ready for the start of the season, and the oft-injured backup still has an unclear timeline for a return. Much like the Tampa Bay Lightning, who are dealing with a much more consequential injury to starter Andrei Vasilevskiy, Colorado could look to make a waiver claim to add goalie depth as more third-string options hit the wire, as the Columbus Blue Jackets did with Spencer Martin last week.
It’s certainly not a good sign for Francouz, who’s still managed to be effective during his time as a backup option in Colorado despite a lengthy injury history. Making 73 regular-season appearances for the Avs since coming over from Europe in 2018 at the age of 28, the Czech goalie missed the entire 2020-21 season and the first 24 games of 2021-22 with an ankle injury. A recurring lower-body injury limited him to just 16 starts last season as well. For now, 23-year-old prospect Justus Annunen is the presumptive backup to starter Alexandar Georgiev.
However, it’s certainly good news regarding Manson, who spent most of the first season of a four-year deal last year on the shelf. Recording ten points in just 27 games, Manson averaged 17:41 per game during his first full season in the Mile High City. Manson is no stranger to consistent injuries, however, eclipsing the 70-game mark just four times during his eight-year career with the Anaheim Ducks before coming over to Colorado at the 2022 trade deadline. With both Bowen Byram and Samuel Girard able to play their off-side, expect a more limited third-pair role for Manson to start 2023-24 as the 31-year-old rebounds from a tough campaign. It’s far from ideal, however, given his substantial $4.5MM cap hit through the 2025-26 season.
Training Camp Cuts: 10/02/23
AHL training camps are beginning to kick into gear as NHL teams make some of their final training camp cuts. As always, we’ll keep track of those roster moves here.
Anaheim Ducks (via team release)
D Trevor Carrick (to San Diego, AHL)
D Drew Helleson (to San Diego, AHL)
D Tyson Hinds (to San Diego, AHL)
F Jaxsen Wiebe (to San Diego, AHL)
Arizona Coyotes (via team release)
F Josh Doan (to Tucson, AHL)
F Curtis Douglas (to Tucson, AHL)
F Conor Geekie (to Wenatchee, WHL)
F Milos Kelemen (to Tucson, AHL)
D Michael Kesselring (to Tucson, AHL)
D Patrik Koch (to Tucson, AHL)
D Vladislav Kolyachonok (to Tucson, AHL)
F Ben McCartney (to Tucson, AHL)
D Montana Onyebuchi (to Tucson, AHL)
F Austin Poganski (released from PTO to Tucson, AHL)
F Aku Räty (to Tucson, AHL)
F Nathan Smith (to Tucson, AHL)
Boston Bruins (via team release)
F John Farinacci (to Providence, AHL)
G Kyle Keyser (to Providence, AHL) pending waiver clearance
Chicago Blackhawks (via The Athletic’s Mark Lazerus)
G Drew Commesso (to Rockford, AHL)
D Louis Crevier (to Rockford, AHL)
D Ethan Del Mastro (to Rockford, AHL)
F Dave Gust (to Rockford, AHL)
F Mike Hardman (to Rockford, AHL)
F Gavin Hayes (to Flint, OHL)
F Paul Ludwinski (to Kingston, OHL)
F Ryder Rolston (to Rockford, AHL)
D Filip Roos (to Rockford, AHL)
F Brett Seney (to Rockford, AHL)
Colorado Avalanche (via Twitter)
G Arvid Holm (to Colorado, AHL)
F Ivan Ivan (to Colorado, AHL)
Dallas Stars (via team release)
F Francesco Arcuri (to Texas, AHL)
F Ben Berard (released from ATO to Texas, AHL)
G Christopher Gibson (released from PTO)
D Artem Grushnikov (to Texas, AHL)
D Michael Karow (released from PTO to Texas, AHL)
D Christian Kyrou (to Texas, AHL)
F Kyle McDonald (to Texas, AHL)
F Keaton Mastrodonato (released from ATO to Texas, AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie (released from PTO to Texas, AHL)
D Jacob Murray (released from PTO)
G Matt Murray (to Texas, AHL)
F Scott Reedy (to Texas, AHL)
F Matthew Seminoff (to Texas, AHL)
F Antonio Stranges (to Texas, AHL)
G Bryan Thomson (released from ATO to Texas, AHL)
D Gavin White (to Texas, AHL)
D Benjamin Zloty (released from ATO to Texas, AHL)
Florida Panthers (via team release)
F Liam Arnsby (to North Bay, OHL)
D Mike Benning (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Riley Bezeau (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Santtu Kinnunen (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Ryan McAllister (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Evan Nause (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Calle Sjalin (to Charlotte, AHL)
D Zachary Uens (to Charlotte, AHL)
G Ludovic Waeber (to Charlotte, AHL)
F Jake Wise (to Charlotte, AHL)
Montreal Canadiens (via team release)
F Lias Andersson (to Laval, AHL)
F Philippe Maillet (to Laval, AHL)
New Jersey Devils (via team release)
F Kyle Criscuolo (to Utica, AHL) pending waiver clearance
D Michael Vukojevic (to Utica, AHL)
New York Rangers (via team release)
G Louis Domingue (to Hartford, AHL)
D Mac Hollowell (to Hartford, AHL)
Ottawa Senators (via team release)
G Kevin Mandolese (to Belleville, AHL)
D Tyler Kleven (to Belleville, AHL)
D Nikolas Matinpalo (to Belleville, AHL)
F Zack Ostapchuk (to Belleville, AHL)
F Cole Reinhardt (to Belleville, AHL)
Philadelphia Flyers (via team release)
D Louis Belpedio (to Lehigh Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Adam Brooks (to Lehigh Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Matt Brown (released from PTO to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Brendan Furry (released from PTO to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
F Rhett Gardner (to Lehigh Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
F Olle Lycksell (to Lehigh Valley, AHL)
D Matteo Mann (to Saint John, QMJHL)
F Cooper Marody (to Lehigh Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
D Victor Mete (to Lehigh Valley, AHL) pending waiver clearance
St. Louis Blues (via Matthew DeFranks of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch)
F William Bitten (to Springfield, AHL)
D Wyatt Kalynuk (to Springfield, AHL)
F Hugh McGing (to Springfield, AHL)
F Matthew Peca (to Springfield, AHL)
Toronto Maple Leafs (via team release)
F Nicholas Abruzzese (to Toronto, AHL)
F Joseph Blandisi (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
G Luke Cavallin (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
D Nolan Dillingham (released from ATO to Toronto, AHL)
F Max Ellis (to Toronto, AHL)
D Matt Hellickson (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
G Dennis Hildeby (to Toronto, AHL)
F Roni Hirvonen (to Toronto, AHL)
F Braeden Kressler (to Toronto, AHL)
F Robert Mastrosimone (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
D Topi Niemelä (to Toronto, AHL)
F Dmitri Ovchinnikov (to Toronto, AHL)
F Jay O’Brien (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
G Vyacheslav Peksa (to Toronto, AHL)
D Matteo Pietroniro (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
D Marshall Rifai (to Toronto, AHL)
F Logan Shaw (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
F Neil Shea (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
F Tate Singleton (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
F Josiah Slavin (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
F Alex Steeves (to Toronto, AHL)
F Keenan Suthers (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
F Ryan Tverberg (to Toronto, AHL)
D Jonny Tychonick (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
D William Villeneuve (to Toronto, AHL)
F Ty Voit (to Toronto, AHL)
F Tyler Weiss (released from PTO to Toronto, AHL)
Washington Capitals (via team release)
D Chase Priskie (to Hershey, AHL)
F Riley Sutter (to Hershey, AHL)
Winnipeg Jets (via Twitter)
F Colby Barlow (to Owen Sound, OHL)
F Wyatt Bongiovanni (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Chaz Lucius (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Kristian Reichel (to Manitoba, AHL)
D Elias Salomonsson (to Manitoba, AHL)
F Danny Zhilkin (to Manitoba, AHL)
This page will be updated throughout the day
Pittsburgh Penguins Claim Jansen Harkins Off Waivers From Jets
The Pittsburgh Penguins have claimed winger Jansen Harkins off waivers from the Winnipeg Jets, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Monday. All other players placed on waivers yesterday, aside from new Nashville Predators forward Samuel Fagemo, cleared.
Harkins, 26, had spent his entire NHL career in the Jets organization after they drafted him with the 47th overall pick in the 2015 NHL Draft. He’s only logged one true season as a full-time NHLer, suiting up in 77 games for Winnipeg in 2021-22, but the Penguins will bank on him being a solid depth contributor signed to a cheap cap hit (but not league minimum) of $850K. It’s worth noting Harkins is due slightly more actual salary than cap hit this season – $875K, to be exact.
In 154 NHL games dating back to 2019, Harkins has 13 goals, 14 assists and 27 points – not awful totals for a player that’s averaged under ten minutes per game. Assigned to the AHL’s Manitoba Moose for the first time since 2020 last season, Harkins recorded well over a point per game, notching 25 goals and 50 points in 44 games. That production is what’s bumped his stock coming into this season and, evidently, influenced Penguins management to take a flyer on the 6-foot-2 winger with strong two-way instincts.
With trade acquisition Rem Pitlick having already cleared waivers and been assigned to AHL Wilkes-Barre/Scranton, Pittsburgh has some competition to lock down depth forward spots, especially with Jake Guentzel out for the first few games of the season. Harkins will now compete for a spot on the Penguins’ opening night lineup alongside depth forwards like Vinnie Hinostroza, Alexander Nylander and Radim Zohorna.
Nashville Predators Claim Samuel Fagemo Off Waivers From Los Angeles
The Nashville Predators have claimed winger Samuel Fagemo off waivers from the Los Angeles Kings, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports Monday. All other players placed on waivers yesterday, aside from new Pittsburgh Penguins forward Jansen Harkins, cleared.
While he may only have 13 NHL games to his name, this is a bit of a tough loss for the Kings. The team’s 50th overall pick in 2019, Fagemo has yet to crack the NHL full-time but looked good in a nine-game call-up last season, recording two goals and an assist despite receiving a paltry 7:51 per game. He tore things up in the minors in the goal-scoring department for a second straight season, too, posting 23 goals in 56 games with the AHL’s Ontario Reign to finish second on the team in goals.
The Kings have a lot of forward prospects, but it’s a pool that’s quickly evaporating as players like Quinton Byfield and Arthur Kaliyev are now full-time NHLers. Los Angeles had signed Fagemo to a one-year, two-way contract paying him $775K in the NHL and $100K in the AHL in July after his entry-level contract expired.
Fagemo, 23, now battles for a bottom-six spot with the Predators just over a week before the start of the regular season. His addition to the roster puts a fire under veterans like Kiefer Sherwood and Cole Smith to hang onto their fourth-line roles, while a youngster like Philip Tomasino also needs to step things up as he hasn’t quite secured a top-nine role throughout camp thus far. Given Tomasino still does not require waivers for assignment to the AHL, he could very well start the season with AHL Milwaukee after the Fagemo claim despite recording 18 points in 31 NHL contests last season.
Anaheim Ducks Come To Terms With Trevor Zegras
The Anaheim Ducks announced that they have agreed to a new three-year contract with restricted free-agent forward Trevor Zegras that will allow him to join the team prior to the beginning of the regular season. Elliotte Friedman tweeted that the new deal comes with an average annual value of $5.75MM and will carry him through the 2025-26 season. Friedman had said on his 32 Thoughts podcast that he felt the two sides were moving towards a resolution to the contract dispute, and it appears that he was indeed correct.
Zegras is already a star in the NHL and, at 22 years of age, may only be scratching the surface of his potential. In 180 NHL games, the center has 49 goals and 90 assists while producing countless highlight-reel moments. While there is little doubt that he displays elite offensive abilities, the Ducks were hesitant to commit to the young forward long-term. A three-year contract could ultimately come back to bite the Ducks if Zegras is able to develop into a superstar.
With a new deal in hand, Zegras can now focus on the remainder of training camp and getting himself prepared for what could be a very difficult season in Anaheim. The Ducks are expected to go through serious growing pains this year as they wait for many of their elite prospects to develop into NHL players. Zegras will be counted on to provide much of the scoring for the Ducks as they traverse some rocky waters in what could be one of the final seasons of their rebuild.
Locking up Zegras finally resolves what had been a rocky negotiation process by all accounts between the Ducks and Zegras. Few expected talks to drag out this late into the summer, let alone training camp, given the Ducks had the most salary cap space in the league after the dust settled on free agency. Reports from TVA’s Renaud Lavoie last month even suggested the Ducks were only offering Zegras between $3MM and $4MM per season on a bridge deal, but they’ve obviously significantly upped their offer here to get their star forward back around the team.
While the Ducks aren’t expected to contend for a playoff spot this season, they do need to improve on last year’s poor all-around showing under new head coach Greg Cronin. With news that marquee free-agent acquisition Alex Killorn is expected to miss the first month of the season with a broken finger, the team was down two forwards with shutdown center Isac Lundeström already sidelined due to an offseason Achilles tendon injury. Simply put, Zegras’ absence stretching into the season would have put them at even more of a disadvantage than normal.
Getting Zegras locked into a three-year term gives the Ducks a little more flexibility when his contract expires in 2026. A four-year or five-year deal would’ve been much riskier, walking him either directly to unrestricted free agency or just one year away, which could have forced a move if Zegras wasn’t willing to re-sign. Instead, Zegras will see his contract expire with two years remaining until he hits UFA eligibility, giving Anaheim a little more team control. That, combined with the bargain cap hit compared to other players in his age group with similar production, clearly marks this as a short-term win for Ducks general manager Pat Verbeek. Whether that plays out into long-term dividends is a different question, however.
Zegras projects to resume his role as the Ducks’ first-line center to begin the season, likely on a line with Adam Henrique to his left and Troy Terry to his right. After signing Zegras, the Ducks have roughly $10MM in cap space per CapFriendly’s projections, which are going off a 24-man roster – one player over the maximum size of 23. They still have young defenseman Jamie Drysdale to sign to a new deal before all their dominoes are in place, however.
PHR’s Josh Erickson contributed significantly to this report.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports.
Maple Leafs Injuries: Timmins, Klingberg, Jarnkrok
David Alter of The Hockey News is reporting that Toronto Maple Leafs Head Coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters this morning that defenseman Conor Timmins has a significant lower-body injury and is out week to week. Keefe didn’t elaborate on the nature of the injury but given his comments, it is likely that the 25-year-old rearguard will miss the first week of the NHL regular season.
Timmins came over to the Maple Leafs last year in a mid-season trade with the Arizona Coyotes in exchange for Curtis Douglas. He fit in nicely on Toronto’s back end and added an element of offense posting two goals and 12 assists in 25 games with the Maple Leafs. He was having a fantastic training camp with six points in just three preseason games for Toronto prior to being injured Friday night in a preseason game against the Montreal Canadiens.
In other Maple Leafs injury notes:
- TSN is reporting that Keefe spoke to reporters about injured defenseman John Klingberg saying that the 31-year-old is dealing with a minor injury and wouldn’t skate today with the team. Keefe went on to add that he doesn’t expect that native of Gothenburg, Sweden to be out long term. What long-term means is vague at this point, Klingberg has been off the ice for five days now after suffering the unknown ailment last Wednesday in a pre-season game against the Buffalo Sabres.
- Toronto Sun reporter Terry Koshan tweeted that Calle Jarnkrok will skate with the Maple Leafs second group at practice today after returning to training camp over the weekend. The 32-year-old is expected to play later this week for the first time in this year’s preseason. Jarnkrok has been dealing with an undisclosed injury that came up during training camp and is expected to be back before the regular season begins. Jarnkrok had a career-high 20 goals and 19 assists in 73 games last season, his first with Toronto.
Latest On Trevor Zegras, Jamie Drysdale
Elliotte Friedman reported today on his 32 Thoughts podcast that the Anaheim Ducks and Trevor Zegras have made some small progress on a new contract between the two sides. He goes on to say that he doesn’t believe a contract is nearing completion, but he has the impression that they are taking steps in the right direction.
Zegras, a native of Bedford, New York, is coming off a season in which he posted 23 goals and 42 assists in 81 games and has posted back-to-back seasons of more than 60 points. Last year, however, his ability to drive play took a step back, and the defensive side of his game continued to leave a lot to be desired.
It appears the Ducks want to see more from the 22-year-old before offering a long-term deal, as they have agreed with Zegras on a three-year term, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun on Insider Trading. What that cap hit will look like remains to be seen, but there does appear to be progress based on Friedman’s reporting.
Friedman also dispelled a rumor that the Ducks were under investigation by the NHL for the handling of defenseman Jamie Drysdale’s shoulder injury last season that caused him to fall two games short of accruing a season of eligibility toward arbitration rights. Friedman poured cold water on that rumor saying that he investigated it, and it was untrue. He did, however, add that there were some questions about whether Drysdale could have been healthy enough to play those two games to get his service year, but Friedman believes that there is no ongoing investigation into the matter. Furthermore, Friedman says that he doesn’t feel as though anyone is accusing the Ducks of doing anything underhanded, but the question is about whether Drysdale could have played the two games he needed.
Friedman then said that because Drysdale is two years away from being arbitration-eligible, the Ducks hold the leverage in this contract negotiation, and they are using it. Drysdale has very few rights other than to hold out for a new contract, and the Ducks have been using every tool available to them to make the most team-friendly deal that they can.
The 20-year-old Drysdale was held pointless last season, dressing in just eight games for the team. The season prior, when he was healthy, Drysdale had a breakout campaign with four goals and 28 assists in 81 games.
Summer Synopsis: Toronto Maple Leafs
The Toronto Maple Leafs are entering a new era in the team’s history, replacing Kyle Dubas with Brad Treliving as the team’s general manager, and appointing Shane Doan to Jason Spezza’s special assistant role. These changes bring a culture shift and a new face in negotiations – something that’s already proving beneficial, with Auston Matthews signing a contract extension and William Nylander working towards a new deal. It’s also helped Toronto in the free-agent market, with big names coming in to fill the holes left by key departures. The Leafs enter the season with a strong roster, on paper, but they’ll need multiple players to embrace their newfound opportunity if they want to maintain the success they found last season.
Draft
1-28: F Easton Cowan, London (OHL)
5-153: F Hudson Malinoski, Brooks (AJHL)
6-185: D Noah Chadwick, Lethbridge (WHL)
The draft didn’t represent much of a test for Brad Treliving, who only had one pick in the top 150 of the draft. But even with one pick, Treliving found a way to make noise – drafting a player that many public scouting services viewed as a high-mid round pick in the First Round. And while the pick remains hotly debated, Cowan may have earned the title of ‘biggest eye-opener’ out of the team’s training camp. He’s recorded one goal and two assists in two preseason games and looked solid throughout team skates, bringing credence to Toronto’s faith in him. He’ll return to the London Knights this season, looking to add next-level talent to a skillset that already looks natural in professional systems.
Toronto also brought in Malinoski, a re-entry forward who appeared on the Brooks Bandits second-line last season – his first year of juniors hockey – as well as Noah Chadwick, who played his first full season in the WHL last year. Interestingly, both players spent their 2021-22 playing in 18U hockey in Saskatoon, Malinoski with the Blazers, and Chadwick with the Contacts. The duo adds depth to Toronto’s center and left defense depth charts, both areas of need for the NHL club.
UFA Signings
D John Klingberg (one year, $4.2MM)
D Marshall Rifai (two years, $1.6MM)*
D Maxime Lajoie (one year, $775K)*
D William Lagesson (one year, $775K)*
F Ryan Reaves (three years, $4MM)
F Max Domi (one year, $3MM)
F Tyler Bertuzzi (one year, $5.5MM)
F Dylan Gambrell (one year, $775K)
D Simon Benoit (one year, $775K)
G Martin Jones (one year, $875K)
* indicates a two-way contract
The Leafs spent a combined $12.7MM on one year of John Klingberg, Tyler Bertuzzi, and Max Domi this off-season, spending big to patch holes at the top of their lineup. And while certainly on rich deals, all three players have the opportunity to be difference-makers quickly. Domi and Bertuzzi should get a full run at top-six minutes with the team’s forward group, while Klingberg’s upside could be as high as
playing on the top defensive pair.
Klingberg’s addition offers the Leafs one of the more solid blue lines they’ve iced in recent years. The 30-year-old defender has taken a step back in the latter half of his career, largely a result of a reoccurring bout with injuries. Klingberg hasn’t played in 75-or-more games since 2017-18, getting moved to injured reserve in each of the three subsequent seasons. But he does offer high-scoring upside, averaging 54 points-per-season over the course of his nine-year NHL career. He did miss parts of training camp with injury, fueling skeptics – although reports shared that his absence was largely precautionary. But if Klingberg can return to the dangerous form he possessed early in his career, he could be an X-factor for this Toronto lineup.
Domi and Bertuzzi bring similar impacts to the lineup: both gritty and physical forwards with solid scoring upside but concerns around injury history and discipline. Domi’s the volume shooter of the two, recording 179 shots last season. And while Domi hasn’t found consistent scoring in recent years, he did net 28 goals and 72 points in the 2018-19 season. That gives Toronto a fine-enough replacement for Michael Bunting in the team’s high-volume top-six. Bertuzzi brings more balance to the forward group, recording an impressive 30 goals and 62 points in just 68 games during the 2021-22 season. He lost that edge a bit last year but still flexes great upside. Toronto is needing to get creative with their top-six to fit in both Bertuzzi and Domi – doing things like moving Nylander to center – but if they can find a way to bring both players back to their former glory, it could give the team a scary forward group.
And while potentially impactful, these three signings didn’t raise eyes like the Leafs’ signing of 36-year-old Ryan Reaves did. In an effort to add the team’s obligatory enforcer, Treliving signed Reaves to a one-way deal that carries Reaves through his age-38 season, with a $1.35MM cap hit. This contract isn’t outrageous but it’s an interesting allocation of cap for a team already carrying Kyle Clifford. How Reaves slots into the day-to-day lineup will be interesting to follow, with the similarly-deployed Wayne Simmonds only appearing in 18 games last season.
The team rounded out free agency with a slew of attractive depth pieces, bringing in consistent bottom-six help in Gambrell and giving a second chance to players like Lagesson and Lajoie. It’s not certain whether any of these depth signings will impact the NHL roster but their additions provide comfortability behind the team’s main guys.
Key RFA Re-Signings
F Pontus Holmberg (two years, $1.6MM)
F Nick Abruzzese (two years, $775K)*
G Ilya Samsonov (one year, $3.6MM)
The Leafs RFA signings fail to jump off of the page. Ilya Samsonov is undoubtedly the most notable re-signing, giving the Leafs their starting goalie for at least the next season. Samsonov needed to file for salary arbitration to get a deal done, despite a clear path to the starter’s net, which could make for an interesting negotiations come next summer. Toronto also locked in low-cost, high-upside wingers in Holmberg and Abruzzese, likely to give both players a chance to earn a bigger contract in their next round of negotiations.
Key Departures
D Filip Kral (Lahti, Liiga)
D Mac Hollowell (New York Rangers, one year, $775K)*
D Victor Mete (Philadelphia, one year, $775K)*
F Alexander Kerfoot (Arizona, two years, $7MM)
D Carl Dahlstrom (Färjestad, SHL)
D Erik Gustafsson (New York Rangers, one year, $825K)
G Erik Kallgren (New Jersey, one year, $775K)*
D Jordie Benn (unsigned UFA)
D Justin Holl (Detroit, three years, $10.2MM)
D Luke Schenn (Nashville, three years, $8.25MM)
F Michael Bunting (Carolina, three years, $13.5MM)
F Noel Acciari (Pittsburgh, three years, $6MM)
F Radim Zohorna (Pittsburgh, one year, $775K)*
F Ryan O’Reilly (Nashville, four years, $18MM)
F Wayne Simmonds (unsigned UFA)
F Zach Aston-Reese (unsigned UFA)
F Semyon Der-Arguchintsev (Traktor, KHL)
* indicates a two-way contract
It’s impressive to see how strong of a lineup the Leafs are entering the season with, given the fact that they lost nearly a full lineup in NHL talent over the summer. Ryan O’Reilly and Michael Bunting headline the group – two top-of-the-lineup forwards, one boasting great goal-scoring upside and the other being a consistent standout for the Selke Trophy. They’re joined by middle-of-the-lineup pieces in Alexander Kerfoot, Luke Schenn, Noel Acciari, and Justin Holl – all getting modest deals in new locations fairly quickly. Interestingly, it was Kyle Dubas that signed Acciari and Radim Zohorna in Pittsburgh, bringing both forwards with him as he left Toronto.
Losing this much solid lineup talent could be enough to send a team into a panic. But Toronto’s lucrative signings of Bertuzzi, Domi, and Klingberg help patch holes in the top-end, while young depth pieces like Abruzzesse finally vie for a roster spot in the wake of changes to the bottom-six. The ability to handle such great turnover speaks to Toronto’s impressive depth and Treliving’s ability to bring in top free agents, and the team will remain competitive this year as a result.
These departures don’t represent a blow to the Toronto lineup as much as they represent boosts to the Leafs’ competition. Bunting brings even more volume and scoring to an already-strong Carolina Hurricanes lineup and O’Reilly could be the solidifying piece that the Nashville Predators needed. If, and how, these signings could impact Toronto’s push for the playoffs and Stanley Cup will be notable, even with the team’s ability to fill their holes.
Salary Cap Outlook
Toronto is, once again, pushing the boundaries of the NHL’s cap ceiling. The team will have just enough money to enter the season, after moving Jake Muzzin and Matt Murray to long-term injured reserve, but they’ll likely still need to move on from one or two players to make enough breathing room for the rest of the year. But if there’s any team that can handle a tight bind with the cap, it’s Toronto.
Key Questions
Can The New Additions Fit In? If the Leafs end up making a run for the Cup, it’ll likely be largely thanks to their free agent signings. Bertuzzi, Domi, and Klingberg all represent really exciting upside, and seem to be passionate about getting a chance to play for Toronto. How each of them can embrace the new setting, cushier roles, and increased attention will be one of the biggest storylines of the year. This season could represent an explosive return to form, marked by impressive scoring totals, or another slide in already-slipping careers.
Who Will Be Starting By The End Of The Year? Ilya Samsonov has a clear hold over the starter’s net entering the season. But if he can
maintain that grip is yet to be seen. Not only does backup Joseph Woll offer competition – posting a .932 save percentage through seven NHL games last season – but the health of all Toronto goaltenders has warranted questioning in recent years. Samsonov himself battled plenty of injuries throughout last year, even missing time in the postseason with an upper-body injury. Reports out of training camp share that he’s back up to speed but with little goalie depth behind him and Woll, Toronto could be at risk of another stressful year between the pipes.
What Impact Will Matthew Knies and Nicholas Robertson Make? The Leafs should be adding two potential heavyweights to their roster full-time this season, in Matthew Knies and Nicholas Robertson. Both players have some form of NHL experience, with Knies playing 10 games between the regular season and playoffs last year and recording five points; while Robertson has recorded 31 career NHL games and seven career points. In a lineup flanked by free agent additions and open roster spots, Knies and Robertson should have every opportunity to show their worth. If they live up to the hype, they could be pivotal pieces of the Leafs roster for years to come.
Snapshots: Mikheyev, Hartman, Tampa Bay Goalies
Vancouver Canucks head coach Rick Tocchet shared that Ilya Mikheyev would not be playing in any of the team’s remaining two preseason games. The forward is continuing to rehab a torn ACL suffered earlier in the year. Tocchet made it sound like Vancouver was pleased with the direction of Mikheyev’s recovery, although doctors have urged the 28-year-old to not commit to being available for opening night. Mikheyev is still readjusting to facing contact and will be at the team’s final camp practices.
Mikheyev has been partially absent from training camp, missing time both because of his injury and for personal reasons. He played in just 46 games with Vancouver last season, his first with the club, recording 13 goals and 28 assists. It was his fourth NHL season and the fourth straight year of Mikheyev playing in 55 or fewer NHL games. In the 2021-22 campaign, his final year with the Toronto Maple Leafs, Mikheyev tallied 21 goals and 32 points in 53 games. He’s now under contract with Vancouver for the next three seasons, with a $4.75MM cap hit in all three seasons, so getting Mikheyev to a healthy and durable state will be important for the club.
Other notes from around the league:
- The Athletic’s Michael Russo shared that, with Mats Zuccarello and Marcus Foligno extended, the Minnesota Wild are now turning their attention towards locking in Ryan Hartman. Russo notes that Hartman is likely looking for a salary north of $4MM but the team will want to keep him under that mark.
- Sportsnet’s Luke Fox is expecting the Tampa Bay Lightning will turn their attention towards the waiver wire to try and find a replacement for the injured Andrei Vasilevskiy. The team is currently rostering Jonas Johansson and Matt Tomkins and is in a tough spot to sign or trade for anyone with their tight cap situation.