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Frederik Andersen

Jacob Markstrom, Frederik Andersen Scratched Late Due To Injury

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Monday night’s match-up between the Calgary Flames and Toronto Maple Leafs has not one but two unexpected twists, both revealed in the hour leading up to puck-drop. The Flames first announced that starting goaltender Jacob Markstrom would not dress tonight and is considered day-to-day with an undisclosed upper-body injury. Minutes later, the Maple Leafs announced that their own starter, Frederik Andersen, also would not dress due to an undisclosed lower-body injury. It is not clear at this time how or when either injury was sustained.

In the long-term, the loss of Markstrom, possibly for multiple games, is the bigger story. A talented Flames roster has underachieved so far this season and are currently outside of the playoff picture. In a competitive North Division, Calgary is relying on major free agent acquisition Markstrom to help them battle back into postseason position. For the time being though, they will have to lean on incumbent David Rittich who has been serviceable in the past but is a notable downgrade from Markstrom. The team also used an emergency recall to add Artyom Zagidulin to the roster to dress as the backup tonight and possibly longer. The former KHL standout has a chance to make his NHL debut if his stay in Calgary is extended.

In the short-term though, the loss of yet another goalie in the Toronto organization is a major concern, especially if Andersen misses multiple games. The Leafs sit comfortably atop the division and can rely on the experienced Michael Hutchinson for a while. However, Hutchinson began the season as the Leafs’ fourth-string goalie. It has taken the waiver departure of Aaron Dell and injuries to Jack Campbell and now Andersen to boost Hutchison to the interim starter role. Behind him, untested Joseph Woll has been recalled to dress as backup and was the only choice, as the only other pro goalie under contract – Ian Scott – is also injured. The Leafs are an extended absence for Andersen or another injury in goal away from having to acquire another net minder.

Free Agency Notes: Krejci, Andersen, Jensen

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While some attention has been on the future of teammate Tuukka Rask of late, the Boston Bruins have another major impending free agent in center David Krejci. Like Rask, Krejci is reaching the end of a long-term, big-money contract and while he won’t get another at 35 years old by next season, Krejci does not appear to be done. The career Bruin matched a career-high 73 points in 2018-19 and last season was a top-five scorer for Boston and trailed only David Pastrnak in shooting efficiency. He capped off the campaign by reminding everyone of his career-long knack for playoff success with a team-best 12 points in 13 games. Krejci looks poised to extend his career beyond this season, likely in Boston, but there has been little public talk of an extension thus far. The Fourth Period’s David Pagnotta provides an explanation, reporting that Krejci’s camp opted not to open talks this off-season. Krejci’s preference was to hold off on negotiations through the brief off-season as well as through training camp. However, the two sides are expected to begin talks once the season begins. If and when a resolution is reached, the extension could also remain as a handshake agreement, as many might this season given the Expansion Draft ramifications of signing would-be UFA’s. With that in mind, Boston fans should not be discouraged that Krejci is entering his fifteenth Bruins season without a new contract, nor should they worry if a deal is not done during the season; talks will be ongoing and the likelihood of an extension is strong.

  • Unlike Krejci, Toronto Maple Leafs starting goaltender Frederik Andersen does not appear likely to negotiate an extension during this season. The impending free agent, likely to be one of the best names available in the 2021 goalie market, did not have any extension talks with Toronto this off-season, reports TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. And now that the season is about to begin, LeBrun does not expect those talks to finally occur until next off-season. LeBrun notes that Andersen’s agent, Claude Lemieux, prefers not to discuss contracts in-season due to the distraction it may cause his clients. Obviously, any number of factors could shift the status quo and force the two sides to come together during the year, but it is unlikely. As such, Andersen is expected to head into the summer without a new contract and the Maple Leafs will have a small window of time to review the season and work out an extension before their starter becomes a free agent.
  • Andersen’s fellow countryman and former NHLer Nicklas Jensen was set to be a free agent this off-season but no more. The skilled Danish forward has signed a two-year extension with the KHL’s Jokerit, the club announced. The move comes as a bit of a surprise, as Jensen has re-signed with his current club in-season for the second year in a row, never allowing for NHL teams to make an offer during the off-season. Jensen has shown that he is worthy of a second chance in North America, too. The 27-year-old power forward, a 2011 first-round pick of the Vancouver Canucks, may not have found much success in the NHL last time around, but now a more mature player, Jensen has been a prolific scorer in the KHL. Jensen led Jokerit and finished fourth in the league in points per game in an injury-shortened 2019-20 with 25 points in 27 games and has never scored below .69 points per game through four KHL seasons, including his current campaign. A capable scorer with size and speed who has established himself in the KHL and previously flashed immense potential in the AHL, Jensen would seemingly be an intriguing target for an NHL team. A two-year extension taking him into his thirties does not completely eliminate the chance of an NHL comeback for Jensen, but makes it all the more unlikely.

Atlantic Notes: Montour, Miller, Andersen

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The Sabres paid a steep price to acquire Brandon Montour from Anaheim last February with young defenseman Brendan Guhle and a first-round pick going the other way.  He was expected to be a core part of their back end but has struggled the point where he was considered a possible candidate to not be tendered a qualifying offer back in October.  The two sides eventually settled on a one-year, $3.875MM contract, walking him to unrestricted free agency next summer.

Part of the reason for his struggles may have been the fact that he often played his off-side.  Accordingly, with Buffalo’s back end remaining intact for the upcoming season, he has spent a lot of his extended offseason training with a focus on playing that off-side, notes Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News.  Montour will need a strong season to have a chance of commanding his current salary on the open market next offseason, one that will likely be as tough to navigate as this one so there is definitely plenty at stake as he tries to re-establish himself as a core defenseman for the Sabres.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

  • Bruins defenseman Kevan Miller is expected to be ready to suit up on opening night, whenever that day comes, relays Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic (Twitter link). The veteran missed all of last season due to recurring knee injuries and wound up re-signing for a guaranteed $1MM plus another $250K roster bonus and $750K in games played in playoff bonuses.  While he’s a right-shot defender, he could be called upon to help cover the departures on the left side of Torey Krug (St. Louis) and Zdeno Chara (still unsigned).
  • TSN’s Travis Yost profiles the tricky decision that the Maple Leafs will soon face regarding goaltender Frederik Andersen, a pending unrestricted free agent. With so much of their money tied up in their top forwards, they’re not in a position to be able to afford a high-priced goaltender but before last season, he had put up some strong numbers.  Now 31, Andersen will be looking to show that his dip (which included a career-low .909 SV%) was an outlier and not a sign of things to come.

Atlantic Notes: Eichel, Hyman, Senators

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While many fans look to the Buffalo Sabres offseason as a success, team star Jack Eichel is just as excited about the team’s moves. The 24-year-old expressed frustration with the Sabres’ team and made it clear the Sabres were in need of more veteran players. The team did just that under new general manager Kevyn Adams, who brought in a number of experienced players, including Taylor Hall, Eric Staal and Cody Eakin to bolster their forward depth.

“I know the league is trying to go younger, but I think that you still need those older guys, the veteran guys, the guys that have been there and won,” said Eichel in an interview with Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski. “I think you need them in your locker room, first of all, and you need them on the ice. We’ve definitely been young. We’ve been in a transition for a few years now. There’s always young guys coming through the organization and you want to see everyone have success, but you look at the transformation that our team made this offseason.”

Eichel, who has not been to the playoffs in his entire career, as Buffalo hasn’t reached the playoffs in nine years, has seen a number of veteran players moved out such as Ryan O’Reilly and Eichel’s friend Zach Bogosian in favor of bringing in younger players. However, Eichel is enthusiastic of the direction of the team this season.

“It’s so hard to win when you’re young,” said Eichel. “I think it’s so important to have that veteran presence in the room and on the ice, so I think it was good for us to add that this offseason. We’ll see what happens.”

  • The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel and James Mirtle (subscription required) debate whether the Toronto Maple Leafs can retain some of their other soon-to-be free agents, including goaltender Frederik Andersen, defenseman Morgan Rielly and forward Zach Hyman. While all three are not likely to be retained due to the team’s continual cap problems in the future, both writers agreed that the slam dunk signing would be Hyman, whose hard-working attitude and competitive culture that he sets in the locker room are critical to bringing back down the road. Of course, both writers did add that much of those hopes will come down to whether Hyman, now 28 and coming off two 20-goal seasons, will be willing to accept a minor home-town discount to stay. If he’s looking to cash in, that could force the team to go in a different direction.
  • While many people are beginning to see hope in Ottawa with some of their offseason moves this offseason as well as the development of their youth, The Athletic’s Hailey Salvian (subscription required) writes that the Senators could find themselves at quite a disadvantage next season assuming they end up in an all-Canadian division next season. Ottawa struggled against their Canadian counterparts, posting a 4-8-2 record, including a minus-12 goal differential against those teams. To make matters worse, most of the Canadian teams have improved during the offseason, which could make Ottawa’s season that much more challenging with no cellar dwellers they can take advantage of.

 

Frederik Andersen Expected To Start For Toronto

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have been rumored to be one of the teams considering a change in net this offseason, but when GM Kyle Dubas took the (virtual) podium today to speak with reporters he didn’t seem interested in changing his starter. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweets, Dubas explained that he expects Frederik Andersen to be the team’s starting goaltender when the next season opens and has addressed the speculation directly with his netminder.

Just because Dubas says he expects Andersen to be in net, doesn’t necessarily mean that the team didn’t have talks with other teams. Specifically, discussions with the Carolina Hurricanes were widely reported to have included Andersen’s name.

In a year where there are at least a dozen strong options available, it’s hard to imagine there would be a huge market for Andersen, who has just one year remaining on his current contract. The Maple Leafs would also have needed a replacement unless they decided to give the starting role to Jack Campbell, something that seemed unlikely given his experience and the team’s desire to compete for a Stanley Cup.

That contract of Andersen’s is something to keep an eye on though as Toronto will need to make plans for the 2021-22 season at some point. Their top two goaltending prospects, Ian Scott and Joseph Woll are not ready for the NHL yet while an extension for Andersen would be pricey and risky given his age and inconsistency in the past. If the Maple Leafs have shut the door on a move this offseason, a window might have to be opened in the coming months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Latest On Frederik Andersen

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have now gone another year without winning a playoff series (this time not even getting out of the qualification round) and there are changes coming to the roster. Kasperi Kapanen has already been shipped out of town to the Pittsburgh Penguins for cap space and a draft pick, but more names are swirling in the rumor mill already.

One of those names is starting goaltender Frederik Andersen, who has been already been linked to the Carolina Hurricanes by Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet. Continuing that story, Friedman was on the radio this morning and explained what he knew about the situation:

The most concrete information I can give you is that since the rumors really got going, I think Kyle Dubas has reached out to Frederik Andersen and spoken to him twice, just to kind of fill him in on what’s happening. From what I understand, [Dubas] has told [Andersen] ’we are not shopping you, but we are getting asked about you. And there are teams that have interest in you.’ 

Where those conversations have gone from there, I can’t tell you. But I know that’s the general tone of the message.

Friedman goes on to say that he doesn’t beleive the Maple Leafs will make a move “just for the sake of making a move.”

There has certainly been a lot of smoke around the veteran goaltender the last few weeks, though it’s not clear exactly how the Maple Leafs will deal with the situation just yet. The most important factor in Andersen’s situation, perhaps other than his struggles during the 2019-20 regular season, is his contract status. Signed only through 2020-21, he would need a new deal from the Maple Leafs if he is to be their starter moving forward. The fact that he will turn 31 next month and just had the worst season of his career doesn’t help his case to sign a long-term deal, but it’s not like Toronto has an in-house option ready to replace him.

In terms of their depth chart, the Maple Leafs did acquire Jack Campbell from the Los Angeles Kings earlier this year, but he has never appeared in more than 31 games in a season. The team locked him up with a two-year extension, but it’s hard to see them handing the keys to him for the majority of the games next year. Joseph Woll and Ian Scott are both interesting prospects but neither one appears to be ready for the NHL, leaving free agency and trade the only options to find an upgrade in net should they move on from Andersen.

Of course, this year may be the best chance to do that given the glut of goaltenders available. Robin Lehner, Jacob Markstrom and Braden Holtby are all scheduled for unrestricted free agency, while other names like Matt Murray (a former Sault Ste. Marie Greyhound, where Dubas cut his teeth in the OHL) and Alexander Georgiev could be available in trade.

If the Maple Leafs are looking for a substantial return in an Andersen trade, it might not be out there. The St. Louis Blues recently had to settle for a third-round pick in a trade for Jake Allen, despite a pretty comparable situation. Andersen is almost a year older than Allen and costs a little more against the cap next season, but both are scheduled to reach free agency in 2021. Allen lost is starting gig in St. Louis last year, but had a much better statistical season than Andersen in 2019-20. While an argument can certainly be made about the defense corps each goaltender is playing behind, it’s hard to see a considerable package coming back to the Maple Leafs in a trade.

There is one more interesting twist in his value however, and that is the fact that $4MM of Andersen’s $5MM cap hit will be paid in a signing bonus this season. That means an acquiring team would only need to pony up $1MM for the year, something that might be very interesting in a depressed financial climate. Andersen also holds a partial no-trade clause, with which he can block moves to ten teams around the league.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Hurricanes Interested In Frederik Andersen

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The Hurricanes have shown interest in Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman in his latest 31 Thoughts column.  It was reported last week that Andersen was among the Toronto players that were being dangled around the league as they look to reshape their roster for next season following an exit at the hands of Columbus in the Qualifying Round.

Carolina was one of the stingier defensive teams in the league this season, allowing the sixth-fewest goals in the league before the pandemic hit.  However, Petr Mrazek’s numbers took a step back from his first year with the Hurricanes as his save percentage dropped from .914 to .905 while his goals against average increased 30 points from 2.39 to 2.69.  James Reimer’s numbers were slightly better, checking in at .914 and 2.66, respectively.

By comparison, Andersen’s numbers were quite similar this season at a .909 SV% with a 2.85 GAA.  However, over his four-year tenure with Toronto, he has a .916 SV% and was able to do so without playing behind one of the top defenses in the league like Carolina has.  Accordingly, he’d represent an upgrade on Mrazek and Reimer while his contract ends following the 2020-21 season, the same time that Carolina’s netminders see their deals expire.  While Andersen’s $5MM price tag would be difficult to fit in under their current structure, it stands to reason that they’d move out one of their current goalies at some point in the offseason if this was to come to fruition.  Both carry cap hits of over $3MM ($3.125MM for Mrazek, $3.4MM for Reimer) so the net increase to their payroll wouldn’t be too large.

But while there is a fit for the Hurricanes, there isn’t as clear of one for the Maple Leafs.  Friedman notes that Toronto would only move Andersen if they could secure a goaltending upgrade and neither Mrazek nor Reimer (who was part of a goaltending carousel in Toronto not long ago) would represent one.  As a result, a deal like this could only be completed if they could either find another starter to trade for or agree to terms with one on the free agent market and there aren’t many legitimate number ones that are set to become available.

As we’ve seen once already this offseason with the trade of winger Kasperi Kapanen to Pittsburgh, Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas isn’t hesitant to pull the trigger when he gets the deal he likes even though the eight remaining teams in the playoffs aren’t eligible to make trades at the moment.  However, this would be a move that would almost certainly have to wait until later in the offseason to have a chance at materializing.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Morning Notes: Maple Leafs, Minnesota, McDonagh

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The Toronto Maple Leafs cleared some cap room yesterday when they moved Kasperi Kapanen to the Pittsburgh Penguins, but they aren’t done yet. James Mirtle of The Athletic reports that several other Maple Leafs players are “being dangled to varying degrees” including starting goaltender Frederik Andersen. Andersen would apparently only cost a single “low-cost” asset, as the cap room would be the big addition for a Toronto team looking to improve in other areas. The 30-year old Andersen is only signed through 2020-21 and carries a $5MM cap hit, but just experienced his worst season in the NHL.

Alexander Kerfoot, Andreas Johnsson and Pierre Engvall are the other names mentioned, which shouldn’t come as much of a surprise given the forward core the Maple Leafs still employ. If the top-four names—Auston Matthews, John Tavares, Mitch Marner and William Nylander—aren’t going anywhere, the team will have to move on from those second-tier players if they are to shed any more salary.

  • The Minnesota Wild have added Frederic Chabot and Brett McLean to their coaching staff, while extending the contracts of Darby Hendrickson, Bob Woods and Jonas Plumb. Chabot will take over duties as the team’s goaltender coach, while McLean will join the club as an assistant, the same role he filled for the AHL’s Iowa Wild. The pair join Dean Evason’s team after the interim tag was removed from him last month. Evason signed a two-year contract after taking over from Bruce Boudreau midseason.
  • The Tampa Bay Lightning still won’t have Ryan McDonagh in the lineup tonight as they take on the Boston Bruins in the second half of a back-to-back.  The veteran defenseman has already been ruled out, meaning the rest of the Lightning defense corps will need to carry a little more responsibility this evening. McDonagh played just 15 minutes in a game one loss and missed yesterday’s thrilling overtime victory.

Auston Matthews Tests Positive For COVID-19

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Earlier today, reports surfaced that Tampa Bay wasn’t the only team that had a player test positive for COVID-19.  It appears that is indeed the case as Steve Simmons of the Toronto Sun reports that Maple Leafs center Auston Matthews has tested positive for the virus and has gone into quarantine at his home in Arizona.  The team later released the following statement:

Per the National Hockey League protocol with respect to COVID-19, the Toronto Maple Leafs will not be commenting on reports surrounds testing for any of the club’s players or staff. A person’s medical information in this regard is private. The club will defer to the NHL’s policy on handling the disclosure of positive tests results, in that the league will provide updates on a regular basis with aggregate totals of the numbers of tests conducted and number of positive tests reported without disclosing either the identities of affected clubs or players.

Simmons notes that Matthews has been skating with several Coyotes players, some of which have tested positive as well although the names of those have not yet been released.  Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen had been living with Matthews for part of this extended break in the schedule but is no longer in Arizona; Simmons adds that he has not tested positive.

There has been a spike in positive COVID-19 tests in several states in recent days and while NHL teams are able to resume training, there are no quarantine restrictions in place at this time as there will be if play resumes as planned later this summer.

Toronto Notes: Six, Murray, Robertson

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The NWHL has a new franchise in one of the biggest hockey markets in the world. Today the Toronto Six were announced as the sixth team in the expanding women’s professional league, revealing their colors and logo in the process. The NWHL quickly started plans for expansion into Toronto last year after the dissolution of the CWHL.

The new Toronto team already has more than a dozen players under contract, but that doesn’t include Jaycee Gebhard who they selected sixth overall in the recent draft. Gebhard decided a few days ago to sign with Brynas IF in Sweden’s SDHL after captaining Robert Morris University.

  • Even though the Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t playing right now, they continue to make news as media members speculate about the future. That speculation has landed on Frederik Andersen this week, and whether or not the team will go out to acquire a different goaltender as he approaches free agency. Matt Murray, who has a connection to Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas and head coach Sheldon Keefe from their time with the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the AHL has been suggested as a possible replacement. Murray is also in a situation with the Pittsburgh Penguins that may lead to a breakup, given the strong play and relative cost of Tristan Jarry. Luke Fox of Sportsnet addresses the Murray speculation in his latest mailbag, writing that he’s not convinced that the Pittsburgh netminder would be an upgrade on Andersen. The staff here at PHR gave our own takes on what Pittsburgh should do with Murray and Jarry recently.
  • One player that is hoping to play in Toronto regardless of who is in net behind him is young forward Nick Robertson, who told Joshua Kloke of The Athletic (subscription required) that his focus is “on the NHL right now.” It’s hard to have a better post-draft season than the 18-year old Robertson, who scored 55 goals and 86 points in just 46 games for the Peterborough Petes, while also starring for Team USA at the World Juniors. The 5’9″ forward fell all the way to 53rd overall in last year’s draft, but will already be pushing for an NHL roster spot come training camp. For what it’s worth, Dubas has already said he’ll give Robertson “every opportunity” to make the team next season.

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