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Andreas Johnsson

Maple Leafs Likely To Have Greater Cap Issues Due To Cononavirus

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The Toronto Maple Leafs knew they would have some issues with their cap for many years in the future when they signed John Tavares to a seven-year, $77MM ($11MM AAV) contract and then locked up their three future star forwards (Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander) to a combined $29.5MM per season.

General manager Kyle Dubas was already hard-pressed last year when he was forced to send a first-round pick to Carolina to get rid of Patrick Marleau’s final year of his contract. The team also sent off popular center Nazem Kadri to Colorado in hopes of adding some much-needed defense. The team already knew it was going to have to make some tough decisions this offseason even with estimates that the salary cap could increase from $81.5 to anywhere from $84-88.2MM. However, the Maple Leafs’ cap situation may have gotten worse, according to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun, who writes that with the financial impact that is expected to hit the NHL, that salary cap could flatline and remain at $81.5MM next season.

If that’s the case, then the Toronto Maple Leafs plans may require some major changes as they currently have $77MM committed to just 17 players with a number of restricted free agents they must deal with, including Ilya Mikheyev, Travis Dermott, Denis Malgin and Frederik Gauthier. Both Mikheyev and Dermott each should get significant raises, while the team will want to being back Gauthier. Malgin is a different question. On the unrestricted free agent market, the team was likely going to let Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci walk anyway, there would be no room to keep either one if they wanted to bring one back. The team must also find some room for Jason Spezza and Kyle Clifford, who have become valued veterans.

With so much salary, the scribe believes that Dubas will guaranteed be forced to trade at least one of their younger top-six forwards, including Kasperi Kapanen ($3.2MM AAV), Andreas Johnsson ($3.4MM) or Alexander Kerfoot ($3.5MM), each of which make more a significant amount of money and likely could bring back a significant package of cheap roster players.

Of course, much of that is dependent on what happens in the next few weeks/months, but the more time that passes is likely worse in Toronto. Throw in the fact that the team must also deal with Frederik Andersen’s contract in two years and they have even more trouble ahead.

Andreas Johnsson Out Six Months

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February 19th: Johnsson has undergone surgery, but his timeline has now been changed to six months. The winger will not be available for the playoffs, but could be ready for next season’s training camp if the recovery timeline is correct.

February 14th: The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost another winger for a lengthy period of time, as head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters today including Chris Johnston of Sportsnet that Andreas Johnsson will require surgery on his injured knee. Johnsson is expected to miss at least eight weeks after suffering the injury last night.

Johnsson joins Ilya Mikheyev, Cody Ceci and Morgan Rielly on the sidelines for the Maple Leafs, who suddenly have real question marks in the forward group as they try to navigate the last part of the season. If the team wants to make any sort of meaningful upgrade on defense, Johnsson or Kasperi Kapanen seemed the most likely candidates to be traded. With an injury of this magnitude Johnsson may now be out of the question, given teams won’t know exactly what they’re receiving.

The Maple Leafs do however have a little more cap flexibility after this news. Johnsson can now be placed on long-term injured reserve through the end of the season, opening up his $3.4MM in cap space for a deadline acquisition. It is still complicated, but could provide some relief if the team is after a replacement or defensive upgrade.

It’s an unfortunate end to the season for Johnsson however, who only recently returned from another injury. The 25-year old forward will finish with just eight goals and 21 points in 43 games, a far cry from the 20-goal season he put up last year as a rookie. It also puts a little more pressure on him moving forward, given his $3.4MM salary through the next three seasons.

There is a chance that the speedy forward returns for the playoffs, but the Maple Leafs will have to get there first. Once in the postseason, there is no longer a salary cap for the team to abide by, meaning they can activate their injured players.

Minor Transactions: 02/16/20

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The Colorado Avalanche’s opportunity to take over first place in the Central Division came up short Saturday night at the Air Force Academy in Colorado at the Coors Light Stadium Series outdoor matchup. The Los Angeles Kings got a hat trick from Tyler Toffoli, who likely raised his trade stock, and helped the Kings knock off the Avalanche, 3-1. Instead of moving into first, Colorado fell behind the Dallas Stars Saturday, who came back from a 3-0 deficit to the Montreal Canadiens to win in overtime, to move into second place. To make matters worse, both St. Louis and Dallas play Sunday, while Colorado has the day off, giving both teams a chance to extend their lead on the Avalanche. As the playoff race intensifies, teams will continue to make roster moves to strengthen their teams. Check back to see the roster moves throughout the day.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Wednesday that forward Cam Atkinson would miss the next two to three weeks with a high ankle sprain. Now the team has placed Atkinson on injured reserve, retroactive to Feb. 8. The team will replace him on the roster with forward Kole Sherwood. The 23-year-old has appeared in three games with Columbus so far this season with no points, but has only averaged 6:38 of ATOI, as he tries to earn the trust of head coach John Tortorella.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have assigned forward Nicolas Roy to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL after being recalled on Saturday with Jonathan Marchessault questionable. However, Roy was not needed as Machessault did play, so the team returned him. Roy has six points in 19 games with Vegas this season.
  • Speaking of players who got assigned Saturday, the Winnipeg Jets announced they have recalled forward Andrei Chibisov from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL after sending him down the previous day. Chibisov is still looking to make his NHL debut. The 26-year-old, signed out of the KHL last June, has seven goals and 24 points in 48 games with the Moose. It’s expected that Chibisov will make his debut Sunday.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have brought up two young prospects in forward Egor Korshkov and Mason Marchment from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. The 6-foot-4 Korshkov, the team’s 31st pick in 2016, finally came over from Russia this summer and has fared well in the AHL, scoring 14 goals in 35 games, could make his NHL debut if he gets into a game. Marchment has appeared in three games for the Maple Leafs, but has been on a tear since the team returned him to the AHL on Jan. 14. He has eight goals in the past five games with the Marlies. With the recall of two players, CapFriendly reports that Toronto placed Andreas Johnsson on long-term injured reserve. Johnsson was deemed to be out for the next eight weeks on Friday with a knee injury.
  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled defenseman Andreas Englund from the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Englund has been up and down all season. The 24-year-old has two assists in 12 games for Ottawa, but is actually scoreless in 22 games with Belleville.
  • After acquiring Andy Greene in a trade from the New Jersey Devils, the New York Islanders have sent Sebastian Aho back to the minor leagues. Greene will join the Islanders on the road in Arizona where they face the Coyotes tomorrow.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Hunter Miska, just a few days after signing him to an NHL contract. Miska will likely serve as backup for Pavel Francouz after Philipp Grubauer was injured last night.

Trade Rumors: Flames, Maple Leafs, Martinez, Simmonds

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Trade deadline season is in full swing and TSN’s “Insider Trading” segment this evening with Darren Dreger and Piere LeBrun was chock full of hints as to what may happen over the next few weeks. The pair began with the most pressing story, which is in regards to the news earlier today that Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano is out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury. The situation reportedly could have been worse and Giordano may have needed surgery that would have kept him out long term, so in a way Calgary got lucky. However, with the Flames fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, this major absence is bound to shift their plans at the deadline. The team has been focused on acquiring a right-shot forward, even allegedly dangling impending UFA defenseman T.J. Brodie to get a deal done, but LeBrun notes that Brodie is now much more unlikely to move. Not only are Brodie and fellow free agent-to-be Travis Hamonic likely safe, but LeBrun adds that the team will consider adding on defense as well if Giordano’s availability remains in question. As for what the Flames may use as their primary trade bait now, Dreger reports that Sam Bennett could finally be on the move. The disappointing young forward is not necessarily on the block, but Dreger hears from many around the league who feel Bennett needs a fresh start and Calgary may oblige him if it helps to land them another top-six forward.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs may have unofficially launched the trade deadline frenzy on Wednesday when they acquired goaltender Jack Campbell and forward Kyle Clifford from the Los Angeles Kings. Yet, even for a team currently on the outside of the playoff picture, Dreger reports that the Leafs are not done. He notes that the deal with L.A. did not address Toronto’s biggest need, which is a top-four defenseman. He says that the recent injury to Cody Ceci, expected to be out for at least a month, combined with the continued absence of Morgan Rielly will keep the Maple Leafs in the defense market if they want to contend for a postseason berth. Dreger mentions that the Kings’ willingness to retain salary should allow the Leafs to land a top-four defenseman if they can find the right deal, assuming one of Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, or Alex Kerfoot would be heading the other way.
  • The Kings, of course, are also not done. They are having another fire sale this year and a number of valuable pieces may still move. Among them is veteran defenseman Alec Martinez. LeBrun believes that the Maple Leafs were not interested in Martinez, but other teams are. One such suitor is Toronto’s biggest competition for an Atlantic Division playoff bid, the Florida Panthers. According to LeBrun, the Panthers are “absolutely looking” at Martinez, who still has one year remaining on his contract. Another team looking to upgrade their blue line who have an eye on Martinez are the Winnipeg Jets. Whether Florida, Winnipeg, or another contender ends up landing the capable defenseman, the buyer will not be getting any sort of discount. LeBrun relays that the asking price is a second-round pick and either another good pick or a good prospect.
  • In Vancouver, the season is going as well as anyone could have expected and the team is hoping to solidify their lineup before the postseason. While the team seems unlikely to spend immensely, they are hoping to plug some holes. One such gap has been created by the injury to Micheal Ferland. Ferland has been out for almost two months and the team is missing his physical play and goal scoring ability. Ferland signed with the Canucks this summer and was expected to play a major role, but has been unable to stay on the ice. As a result, LeBrun reports that the Canucks are revisiting a player that nearly chose over Ferland this off-season in Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds, who instead signed a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, again finds himself as a rental candidate and Vancouver remains interested. LeBrun believes that the team will wait to see what the long-term outlook on Ferland is for the remainder of this season, but bad news could trigger a trade to bring in Simmonds.

Eastern Notes: Trouba, Panik, Palmieri, Hughes, Johnsson

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The Department of Player Safety announced that New York Rangers defenseman Jacob Trouba has been fined $5,000, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for slashing St. Louis Blues defenseman Vince Dunn Saturday. The incident happened during the third period when Dunn circled around the Rangers’ net with Trouba following who proceeded to slash at Dunn. That started a shoving match, which eventually led to a fight.

Trouba received a five-minute penalty for slashing and a 10-game misconduct, while Dunn received a two-minute penalty for roughing. Trouba has been in trouble before as he received a two-game suspension back in 2017 after a hit to the head of Mark Stone.

  • No lost time on the ice for Washington Capitals forward Richard Panik. The forward was back at practice Sunday with a full face shield after being cut in the lower lip by the stick of New Jersey Devils forward Miles Wood, according to NHL.com’s Tom Gulitti. In fact, Panik said that his lower lip was separated from his gums and required 20 stitches. Fortunately, his teeth are fine.
  • The New Jersey Devils have lost one forward and gained another. NHL.com’s Amanda Stein reports that forward Kyle Palmieri is out Sunday for their game against Tampa Bay. The forward suffered a lower-body injury during Saturday’s game against Washington. He did block a shot off his foot and was reportedly hurting on the bench, but didn’t leave the game. No indication on how serious the injury is, however. The 28-year-old has 16 goals this season. However, the team announced it is expecting to get center Jack Hughes back in the lineup. The 18-year-old has missed five games with an upper-body injury.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs head coach said that the team will be activating forward Andreas Johnsson off of injured reserve and he is expected to take warm-ups before today’s game against Florida and will be a game-time decision, according to TSN’s Mark Masters. The has been out since Dec. 4 with a leg injury and should be able to provide the Maple Leafs with some offensive depth as he has six goals and 16 points through 30 games. The Maple Leafs added that the team has placed defenseman Jake Muzzin on IR to make room for Johnsson. Muzzin has been out with a broken foot since Dec. 27.

Eastern Notes: Gostisbehere, Johnsson, Moore, Wolanin

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The Philadelphia Flyers have a lot to like as they sit in a playoff spot at the midway point of the season. While injuries have ruled the team’s first half, the team also has a lot of impressive play from members of the team. One member of the team who didn’t get much of a rating from The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (subscription required) — Shayne Gostisbehere.

While teammate Ivan Provorov has had quite the impact season, getting A’s across the board, Gostisbehere’s final grade was a C-. For a second straight season, the 26-year-old’s offense has disappeared as he is on pace for a 23-point season. What the big problem is, however, Gostisbehere’s defense has also disappeared and his usage is starting to drop. He has averaged just 18:24, more than three minutes below his career high of two years ago. The scribe writes that there is no positive spin on the blueliner and he must find his game quickly for the Flyers’ sake.

  • TSN’s Kristen Shilton reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs may be close to getting back a pair of forwards. Andreas Johnsson and Trevor Moore were both seen at Toronto’s morning optional skate. Johnsson, who has been out with a leg injury since Dec. 4, wore a non-contact jersey, while Moore, who has been out with a concussion since Dec. 23 was in a regular jersey, but hasn’t been cleared yet. “Very encouraging,” said Toronto head coach Sheldon Keefe. “They were skating a little bit while we were away, so today was a positive step. Both are still in non-contact situations but just to see them around the building and around the group is a good sign.”
  • The Athletic’s Graeme Nichols (subscription required) writes that the Ottawa Senators finally got an update on injured defenseman as general manager Pierre Dorion stated that Christian Wolanin, who has been out all season with a torn labrum, is targeting a return in mid to late February. Wolanin, who had surgery back on Sept. 21 and given a four-month timetable, is expected to immediately report to the Belleville Senators with the AHL once he’s been cleared to play. The 24-year-old could be with Ottawa in March if everything pans out.

Andreas Johnsson Placed On Long-Term Injured Reserve

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Just as the Toronto Maple Leafs appeared to be getting healthy, another injury has occurred. The team has placed Andreas Johnsson on long-term injured reserve after sustaining a leg injury on Wednesday night. Johnsson will be re-evaluated after the Christmas break, but for now the Maple Leafs have recalled Nic Petan, Martin Marincin and Pontus Aberg from the minor leagues.

Johnsson’s injury actually relieves some of the salary cap pressure for the Maple Leafs, who were set to move forward with just 21 players on the roster for the time being. Now that they can move Johnsson’s $3.4MM cap hit onto long-term injured reserve and replace him with several players from the minor leagues.

Aberg is the most interesting name in the group, if only because he hadn’t gotten a chance with the Maple Leafs prior to this recall. The 37th overall pick in 2012, he has bounced around from Nashville to Edmonton to Anaheim to Minnesota before arriving in Toronto, never spending a full season in the NHL. Through 22 games in the AHL this season, Aberg has 24 points to lead the Marlies and very well could get an opportunity alongside some of Toronto’s best players.

Injury Notes: Barkov, Little, Johnsson, Ladd, Simek, Paquette

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Florida Panthers fans were quite worried Saturday when star player Aleksander Barkov skated off the ice during his second shift and did not return for the rest of the game. The Panthers deemed the injury as an upper-body injury and head coach Joel Quenneville refused to comment on it. However, The Athletic’s George Richards (subscription required) reports that general manager Dale Tallon referred to the injury as “minor.”

How Barkov was injured is a different story, as it doesn’t look as if Barkov took a hit, but the 24-year-old was seen clutching his side after an icing call on his second shift. He still lined up for the face-off, but looked to be in obvious pain. The team flew back to home last night and have Sunday off, with a home match against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.

  • The Winnipeg Jets are looking for some added punch to their lineup as TSN’s Brian Munz reports that center Bryan Little, who has been sidelined all season with a concussion, is expected to play Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers. The 31-year-old has served as the team’s second line center for quite some time. He scored 15 goals and 41 points last season.
  • Toronto Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson was not at practice Sunday after blocking a Brandon Carlo shot Saturday and being forced out of the game and missing the third period, according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton. X-rays on Johnsson’s leg came back negative, suggesting the injury isn’t too serious and the forward isn’t expected to be out for long. The 24-year-old winger has two goals and five points in nine games with the Leafs so far.
  • The return of Andrew Ladd could be coming soon as Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that the 33-year-old winger was skating in a regular practice jersey Sunday, after several practices in an orange non-contact jersey. Ladd is coming off a torn ACL and was limited to just 26 games last season. If healthy, Ladd could make some key contributions on the team’s bottom-six. He scored three goals and 11 points in those 26 appearances last year. Gross in a separate tweet, reports that both Jordan Eberle and Casey Cizikas, each on injured reserve with lower-body injuries, skated today, but separately from the rest of the team.
  • The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that defenseman Radim Simek is expected to join the San Jose Sharks on their five-game road trip, but the blueliner said that he likely won’t play in any of those games due to his leg injury. He has been practicing so a return could come in the next few weeks, but his return to health has taken longer than the team expected.
  • NHL.com’s Bryan Burns reports that Tampa Bay Lighting forward Cedric Paquette is now considered to be day-to-day. The 26-year-old forward, out with an arm injury, hasn’t played a game this season yet, but could be close. Paquette scored a career-high 13 goals last season.

 

Eastern Notes: Hurricanes’ Cap Issues, Johnsson, Djoos

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After signing defenseman Jake Gardiner to a new four-year, $16.2MM contract, the Carolina Hurricanes have added key depth to their team, but have also now gone beyond the salary cap and are currently sitting about $1.5MM over it. Teams are allowed to go over the cap by 10 percent during the offseason, but with the season approaching, the team will have to make some adjustments, according to Hockey News’ Jared Clinton.

While a trade might be the obvious solution for the Hurricanes, the scribe writes the team could send some players down to the AHL to make up the difference in salary, including center Clark Bishop, who played 20 games (and two playoff games) for Carolina last season, as well as recently acquired defenseman Gustav Forsling. The problem is, neither player is waiver-exempt and the team could lose both players to other teams looking for a young center or a defenseman with 122 games of NHL experience.

If the team does want to go the trade rout, the most likely candidate would be Justin Faulk, who will be playing in his final season before hitting unrestricted free agency. However, moving him might be somewhat challenging as Faulk has a 15-team no-trade clause, while another blueliner Dougie Hamilton, does not, making Hamilton a more likely candidate to move.

  • Despite a new four-year, $13.6MM contract, Toronto Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson has high expectations for himself and notes that his goal is to come out of the gate better than he did last year, according to NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy. The 24-year-old winger started very slow for Toronto last season, scoring just three points in the first 18 games of the season, before finally breaking out with a hat trick on Nov. 24. He finished his final 55 games with 40 points (18 goals and 22 assists). A better start could mean a better season. “[The slow start last season] is in my mind,” Johnsson said. “I want to have a better start this season than I did last. I’ve tried to be as prepared as I can be. Now I have a full season under my belt and I know what to expect from it. It was a little bit longer summer for me this time, so it was a long time to prepare. I feel like I’m able to be healthy and was able to work on my body and mind. I feel like I’m coming stronger into this season than last.”
  • The Washington Capitals have rebuilt their defense as the team has moved out several players including Brooks Orpik and Matt Niskanen, while bringing in Radko Gudas, getting a full season out of Nick Jensen and high expectations for youngster Jonas Siegenthaler. One forgotten player is defenseman Christian Djoos, who many have already penciled in as the Capitals emergency defenseman after struggling returning from a midseason injury. However, The Athletic’s Tarik El-Bashir (subscription required) writes that Djoos, who suffered a thigh injury that forced him to miss 24 games during the season, now claims to finally be 100 percent healthy and wants to reclaim his spot on Washington’s defense, but will have to beat out Siegenthaler as well as 2018 first-rounder Alex Alexeyev and Martin Fehervary, the team’s second-rounder in 2018, to do it.

Toronto Maple Leafs Re-Sign Kapanen, Johnsson

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have officially announced the contract extensions for both Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. Kapanen’s deal is a three-year contract that will carry a $3.2MM average annual value, while Johnsson has signed a four-year deal with a $3.4MM average annual value. Both players were restricted free agents that had been issued qualifying offers earlier this week.

Kapanen, 22, broke out this season with the Maple Leafs, recording 20 goals and 44 points in his first full NHL season. The blisteringly-fast forward used his skating ability to routinely blow by defenders and get in tight on goaltenders, resulting in glorious scoring chances on a regular basis. Playing alongside Auston Matthews for much of the season, Kapanen was able to play an offensive game at even-strength which resulted in some excellent production. Even better perhaps was his contribution on the penalty kill though, where he has developed into a reliable option for head coach Mike Babcock. That kind of versatility makes him an extremely valuable piece for the team, and a bargain on this three-year deal that will leave him as a restricted free agent in 2022.

Johnsson, 24, also produced a 20-goal season in his rookie year with the Maple Leafs, but came about it a little differently. More elusive than fast, the Swedish forward scored most of his goals from in tight off cycle chances he or his linemates created, and did so in relatively limited playing time. Johnsson averaged just under 14 minutes of ice time per game for the season, but still managed to put up 43 points in 73 games. In fact, he registered 40 points in his last 55 games after a slow start, something the Maple Leafs will hope he can continue moving forward. The four-year deal buys out one year of unrestricted free agency for Johnsson, making him a UFA in the summer of 2023.

The inevitable question now is what will happen to the Maple Leafs other key restricted free agent, as Mitch Marner is still unsigned and the team now has just $6.9MM in cap space. They can exceed the $81.5MM ceiling by $8.15MM in the offseason and have Nathan Horton’s $5.3MM deal to put on long-term injured reserve, but will still have to clear some more room if they want to add anywhere else on the roster. Defense is obviously the easy place to make an improvement, as the team only has seven defensemen in the whole organization with any NHL experience and three of those—Justin Holl, Calle Rosen and Andreas Borgman—have played a total of just 69 NHL contests.

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