Jason Spezza Resigns From Maple Leafs
Parting ways with Kyle Dubas this afternoon, and showing their AHL coaching staff the door, major changes are expected to the front office of the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer. As many have been suggesting, Jason Spezza was considered to be a strong internal option to replace Dubas as General Manager of the Maple Leafs.
Pierre LeBrun of TSN not only threw cold water on that theory but extinguished the flame completely. He reports that shortly before President and Alternate Governor, Brendan Shanahan, took the podium today to speak to the media, Spezza resigned as Special Assistant to the General Manager in Toronto.
After retiring from the Maple Leafs at the end of last season, Spezza took the job as Special Assistant to the General Manager on May 29, 2022. With only Brandon Pridham remaining as a possible internal candidate to replace Dubas as Maple Leafs’ General Manager, this news will be a significant blow to Toronto’s front office.
As Toronto enters what appears to be a transitional period, there will be a significant debate on what this news means for the Maple Leafs moving forward. Although it appears that the front office might be crumbling in Toronto, there is reason for optimism.
Many of the individuals leaving the Maple Leafs organization today have been around for quite some time. Dubas has been in the front office since the 2014-15 season, Spezza since the 2019-20 season (including his time as a player), and Greg Moore since the 2019-20 season, as well.
Being a team that is in dire need of a cultural change, Toronto may have been destined to seek an outside voice no matter what. However, even though there will be light at the end of the tunnel for this franchise, the holes needing to be filled are beginning to pile up for the Maple Leafs this summer.
Toronto Marlies Part Ways With Coaching Staff
As the hockey world continues to digest the news that Kyle Dubas will no longer be at the helm of the Toronto Maple Leafs, their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, also announced some executive changes as well. Coming shortly after the Dubas news, the Marlies announced that they would not renew the contract of their head coach, Greg Moore, or assistant coaches, A.J. MacLean and John Snowden, as well.
After Sheldon Keefe made the move to the NHL during the 2019-20 season, Moore immediately took over behind the bench for the Marlies. In his first season, the Marlies finished with a 29-27-3-2 record, much worse than they had performed in the previous year under Keefe. The team did not improve much in the shortened 2020-21 season, going 16-17-0-2.
Although not making the playoffs in the 2021-22 season, Moore helped the Marlies to their first winning record under his watch, finishing 37-30-4-1, which put them in sixth place in the stacked North Division. This year, the Marlies were finally able to put it all together, finishing 42-24-4-2, which put them squarely in first place in their division. The team made it all the way to the North Division Finals, losing to the Rochester Americans (Buffalo) in three games.
Due to the team’s incremental progression during Moore’s four-year span behind the bench, it would be a smart bet to expect Moore behind the bench of another team next season. Although the AHL season has not reached its end to this point, the Grand Rapids Griffins (Detroit), Henderson Silver Knights (Vegas), and the Iowa Wild (Minnesota) all find themselves without a head coach for the 2023-24 season.
Coupled with the ouster of Dubas, this news seems to point to a new generation of Maple Leafs’ hockey. The team now has ten players set for unrestricted free agency this July, and will also need to make a decision on extensions for both Auston Matthews and William Nylander. Whatever the future holds for this organization, it is apparent that Toronto is set for a major shakeup this summer.
Buffalo Sabres Sign Nikita Novikov To Entry-Level Contract
5:12 PM: The contract will run until the 2025-26 NHL season, paying Novikov $867.5K in the NHL, and $80K in the AHL. Due to the signing bonus of $92.5K each year, the AAV under the contract will be $925K each season (Tweet Link).
3:29 PM: In a busy morning out of the NHL’s Atlantic Division, the Buffalo Sabres have joined the newswire, announcing they have signed defenseman Nikita Novikov to an entry-level contract. Novikov recently wrapped up his second season with the KHL’s Dynamo Moskva.
The Sabres originally drafted Novikov at 188th overall during the 2021 NHL Draft. Although drafted comparatively low to other top prospects around the league, the main reason for his fall was doubts as to whether he would ever sign in the NHL. Playing in 94 games in Russia’s top professional league, he ranks fourth all-time in games played for players that have yet to turn 20 years old.
In the KHL, Novikov’s bread and butter was almost solely on the defensive side of the puck, adding a gritty style of play to the back end, a factor that many teams are looking for out of their defenseman. Buffalo’s Director of Player Development, Adam Mair, was quoted saying, “He’s big, he’s smart with the puck, and he has a very gritty style to his play. When you watch the playoffs now, especially in the Cup Final, you see that – defensemen who are big and mean around the net, they’re hard to get through.”
As the Sabres look to improve to the point of returning to the Stanley Cup playoffs, adding players like Novikov should considerably help the ailments that held them back this season. Part of the problem rests on the shoulders of their goaltending, but the team in front of them played a part too, as Buffalo finished 26th in the NHL in GA/G this year. Although their goal-scoring ability was able to keep the team afloat seemingly to the very end of the playoff race, don’t expect this to be the last move the Sabres make in an effort to keep the puck out of their net.
Latest On Kyle Dubas
It’s rare you get an unprompted high level of transparency from an NHL team executive. However, Toronto Maple Leafs team president Brendan Shanahan, speaking to reporters today, offered a detailed description of the team’s process that led to moving on from general manager Kyle Dubas this morning, as well as offering some thoughts about the future of the team.
To begin last season, it was widely reported that the Maple Leafs were not offering Dubas an extension until further along into 2022-23. Per Shanahan, that’s exactly what happened, saying he approached Dubas after the trade deadline two months ago to tell him he’d talk to Toronto ownership about pursuing an extension. Dubas then informed Shanahan he was comfortable moving forward.
Shanahan, throughout the stretch of the regular season and postseason, then pursued a contract framework with Dubas’ agent. Dubas was then presented with an initial contract framework after the Maple Leafs were eliminated by the Florida Panthers in five games in the Second Round.
While negotiations were positive, Shanahan admitted to reporters his “thought process changed” after watching Dubas’ media availability on Monday, where he mentioned the tolls of the season were tough on him and his family, and there was a possibility he would opt not to return to the role on his own terms.
However, Dubas did make up his mind, telling Shanahan he did want to remain in the role as late as last night when Dubas and his agent presented Shanahan with a contract offer where a “gap had risen” from previous talks. At that point, Shanahan decided the best path forward lay elsewhere and informed Dubas this morning the team wouldn’t be renewing his contract.
One thing Shanahan immediately clarified after his initial statements are that these negotiations didn’t fall apart over money. For Shanahan, it was a shift in thinking about who he wanted in the role that occurred this week.
Shanahan says the team’s focus immediately turns to hiring a new GM, saying he’d prefer to go with someone who has NHL experience in the role.
Shanahan did not comment on the future of head coach Sheldon Keefe, nor was he questioned about it by reporters in attendance.
Minor Transactions: 05/19/23
There have been some truly dominant stories in the hockey news cycle over the past few days, including the everlasting Arizona Coyotes arena saga and the Toronto Maple Leafs moving on from general manager Kyle Dubas. However, there are still plenty of storylines in other leagues worth taking a look at as the offseason continues in earnest around the world. As always, we’ll keep track of today’s most notable minor transactions right here.
- The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors extended defenseman Xavier Bernard on a one-year contract today. Staying within the Edmonton Oilers organization, Bernard had a goal in 12 games with Bakersfield after a mid-season trade from the Belleville Senators. Once a New Jersey Devils prospect after they selected him in the fourth round of the 2018 NHL Draft, Bernard is now a free agent in the eyes of the NHL after the team opted to let his rights expire.
This page will be updated throughout the day
Logan Cooley Returning To University Of Minnesota
Arizona Coyotes top prospect Logan Cooley will not be signing his entry-level contract this summer, as the University of Minnesota announced today that he’s returning to the school for his sophomore season.
After a standout rookie season in the Big 10 conference, finishing second in the entire NCAA in scoring behind 2023 draft prospect Adam Fantilli, many expected Cooley not only to sign with Arizona but play a prominent role there in 2023-24. Instead, the 2022 third-overall selection will try and build on those totals and shoot for a national championship with Minnesota, a feat they were only one goal away from achieving this season.
Cooley, a skilled and cerebral two-way center, will be a top-six pivot when he does opt to come to the NHL. It’s fair to speculate if the Coyotes’ lack of a concrete long-term solution to their arena issues played a role in Cooley deciding to push back his NHL debut by another year.
While there may be little left to achieve in his pre-NHL development, the NHL isn’t always everything for players, either. Cooley’s desire to win a national championship, as well as the lower-stakes environment of college hockey, are also likely factors in his choice.
Neither Cooley nor the Coyotes have commented on his decision publically.
Kyle Dubas Will Not Return As Toronto GM
Kyle Dubas will not return as general manager of the Toronto Maple Leafs next season, team president Brendan Shanahan announced today.
Dubas, who has been with the Maple Leafs since 2014, served as an assistant general manager before being promoted to the role of general manager in May 2018, replacing Lou Lamoriello. Under his leadership, the team has yet to miss the postseason but has won just one game past the First Round, coming in this year’s 4-1 Second Round loss to the Florida Panthers.
Per the announcement from the Leafs, this was not necessarily a mutual decision. The team’s statement clarified that it was Toronto’s decision to part ways with Dubas ahead of his contract expiring on June 30.
Shanahan expressed gratitude to Dubas for his near-decade of work with the Leafs organization:
I would like to thank Kyle for his unwavering dedication over these last nine seasons with the organization, including his last five as General Manager. Kyle fostered a great culture within our dressing room and staff, and consistently pushed to make our team better season over season. We wish Kyle and his family the best moving forward.
Dubas’ immediate future in the NHL remains very uncertain. He stated on Monday that he would either continue with the Maple Leafs or take time away from the league to spend with family.
Regardless, there is bound to be considerable interest from other teams when or if he decides to pursue another general manager position in the future. Dubas’ reputation as a progressive thinker, his analytical approach (which he had wavered from slightly in recent seasons), and a good recent history of high-value draft picks make him an attractive candidate for any franchise looking for a fresh perspective.
Dubas headed up one of the most formative periods in Maple Leafs history, signing multiple significant contracts with the team’s top players. None, however, have faced more scrutiny than his free agent acquisition of captain John Tavares in 2018 to a seven-year, $77MM contract, one a large sect of fans have determined an overpayment for his services.
The news means someone new will be behind the helm to deal with potential contract extensions for Auston Matthews and William Nylander, who are both unrestricted free agents in 2024 and are eligible for extensions beginning July 1 of this year. The Leafs have a pair of internal candidates, assistant general manager Brandon Pridham and special assistant to the general manager Jason Spezza, who immediately jump out as potential replacements.
While it seems like the team’s curse of playoff failures may never end, the reality is Dubas’ successor is inheriting a team with many years left in a contention window if they play their cards right. A solid prospect base and some potential financial flexibility, especially if the next GM does trade one of the team’s ‘Core Four’ of Matthews, Nylander, Tavares, and Mitch Marner, still have Toronto in solid positioning.
Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the news.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
New York Islanders Sign Kyle MacLean, Daylan Kuefler
The New York Islanders locked in a pair of forwards to deals on Friday, signing Kyle MacLean to a one-year, two-way contract and Daylan Kuefler to a three-year entry-level contract. Financial terms were not disclosed.
MacLean, 24, has played the last three seasons in the Islanders organization on AHL contracts with the Bridgeport Islanders/Sound Tigers. The son of longtime New Jersey Devil and current Islanders assistant coach John MacLean, he recorded a career-high 11 goals, 16 assists, and 27 points in 67 games with Bridgeport in 2022-23.
Born in Basking Ridge, New Jersey, MacLean went undrafted during his time with the OHL’s Oshawa Generals but developed a sound two-way game and was the team’s captain from 2018 to 2020. He’s carried that two-way style into pro hockey, logging key minutes on Bridgeport’s penalty kill.
With an NHL contract signed, MacLean now becomes a call-up option for the Islanders, likely if a bottom-six, penalty-killing winger gets injured. Without very significant offensive production in the minors at this stage in his development, though, a full-time NHL role in the future seems unlikely.
Kuefler, on the other hand, did have his NHL rights tied to the Islanders after they selected him in the sixth round of the 2022 NHL Draft. The 21-year-old had been passed over in the two drafts prior, but after a significant offensive breakout with the WHL’s Kamloops Blazers, the team took a flyer on him.
In 2022-23, Kuefler broke the point-per-game mark for the first time in his WHL career, notching 31 goals and 61 points in 54 games. While his offensive production and delayed development may not suggest much of an NHL future, he’s a relatively well-rounded prospect who could still pan out pending proper development. The 6-foot-2, 190-pound winger will report to AHL Bridgeport next season.
Coaching Updates: Carbery, Quenneville, Blue Jackets
The New York Rangers are one of a handful of teams looking to secure a new head coach for 2023-24, although reports on whom they’ve interviewed for the role have been comparatively few and far between. Late last night, though, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman said the team had obtained permission to talk to Toronto Maple Leafs assistant Spencer Carbery for the vacancy.
Per Friedman, New York is the third team the Leafs are believed to have permitted to interview. The Anaheim Ducks and Washington Capitals are the others. He’s somewhat of an interesting candidate for any head coaching role – he doesn’t have previous NHL head coaching experience, nor would he be an internal hire (unless the Maple Leafs fire Sheldon Keefe and promote Carbery before another team hires him). Nonetheless, the 41-year-old has spent most of his coaching career as a head coach in the AHL and ECHL, earning Coach of the Year honors at both levels with the Hershey Bears and South Carolina Stingrays.
Carbery would be hard-pressed to find a bigger challenge than stepping into a high-pressure market like New York without previous NHL head coaching experience, though. It could prove to be a sound move for a team that needs a fresh perspective, though, and many fans would be happy for their team to step out of the normal coaching carousel.
More from the coaching rumor mill this morning:
- In an unsurprising development after his name began to resurface in rumors, former Chicago Blackhawks and Florida Panthers head coach Joel Quenneville will meet with NHL commissioner Gary Bettman soon to determine whether he’ll be permitted to take a job in the league, per TSN’s Darren Dreger. Quenneville has been barred from league work since October 2021 after an independent investigation determined Quenneville, along with other Blackhawks staff members, had knowledge of claims that video coach Brad Aldrich had sexually assaulted Blackhawks forward Kyle Beach and failed to take any action to protect Beach, or other future victims of Aldrich after he left the organization. The Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby reports Quenneville has been in a league-sanctioned program during his suspension from the league to “understand the impact of what happened.”
- The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline says to let out your breath if you’re waiting for news on the Columbus Blue Jackets next head coach. The team is unlikely to have a successor to Brad Larsen in place by this weekend when general manager Jarmo Kekelainen heads overseas to attend the 2023 IIHF Men’s World Championship. However, the search is nearing its conclusion, with a handful of candidates confirmed by reporters.
Ryan Lomberg Returns For Game 1
Tom Gulitti of NHL.com reports the Florida Panthers have some added depth to their lineup as they begin the Eastern Conference Final. Ryan Lomberg has not played since Game 4 of the Panthers opening-round series.
The 28-year-old winger missed the final three games of that series against the Boston Bruins, and the entire second round against the Toronto Maple Leafs. Lomberg was ruled out with an upper-body injury and listed as week-to-week at the time. He had received a nasty cross-check to the head area in the last game he played, but no official injury status was given.
Lomberg is not likely to carry the offense for the Panthers in this series, but he brings a nasty, physical edge that is a requirement for successful playoff teams. The Panthers are a scrappy team that is difficult to play against with the likes of Matthew Tkachuk, Sam Bennett andRadko Gudas on the team, and Lomberg adds to that while bringing some speed to the bottom of the lineup.
While not a huge scorer, Lomberg did have 12 goals and 20 points in 82 regular season games, proving he is capable of finding the back of the net. He was taking line rushes on a trio with Eric Staal andColin White which would give the Panthers a reliable fourth line that just might add a couple of big goals in a series.
The Panthers are in the Eastern Conference Final for the first time since 1996 and will take on the Carolina Hurricanes after knocking out heavily-favoured division foes in the Bruins and Maple Leafs.