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Frederik Andersen

Toronto’s Babcock Travels To Arizona To Talk With Auston Matthews

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It looks like there was some truth between the reported rift between the Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock and star Auston Matthews afterall. Elliotte Friedman of Hockey Night in Canada reported Saturday evening that Babcock travelled to Arizona (Matthews home) for a family vacation, but plans to sit down and clear up any issues that Matthews may have with the coach, according to TSN’s Pierre LeBrun.

“The expectation is the two of them are going to talk or have talked this weekend as they try to air things out and fix things between them,” Elliotte Friedman said during Hockey Night’s “Headlines” segment on Saturday.

The rift was first reported by Nick Kypreos after Game 7 of the first-round playoff series between the Maple Leafs and the Boston Bruins. Both player and coach denied the accusation.

While Babcock’s trip to Arizona is being passed off as a family trip, Kypreos feels differently.

“It is common for star players sometimes to battle with their coaches for things such as ice time,” Kypreos said during intermission of the Penguins-Capitals game on Saturday. “But what isn’t that common is a week after [exit meetings]. It’s clear that this is a priority for Babcock, who’s hoping to smooth things out so come training camp, everyone’s on the same page.”

LeBrun, however, tweeted that Babcock also has plans to visit goaltender Frederik Andersen in Denmark soon as well.

Minor Transactions: 03/19/18

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Another week has passed in the NHL and we’re down to the final ten games for most of the teams around the league. With just a few weeks left teams like St. Louis and Los Angeles are still fighting for their playoff lives while others like Detroit and Vancouver are doing their best to secure a top draft pick. We’ll likely see several young players make their debuts this week, while other teams will welcome back some injured veterans just in time for the playoffs. As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves right here.

  • Filip Chlapik is back up in Ottawa, as the Senators have recalled 20-year old forward and assigned Jim O’Brien back to the minor leagues. Chlapik is still looking for his first NHL goal after 10 games with the big club this season, but does have 30 points in 50 games during his rookie season in the AHL. The second-round pick will be in competition for a full-time job on the team at camp next season, and can give himself a leg up by playing well down the stretch.
  • The Buffalo Sabres have completed a paper transaction for Justin Bailey, who was only sent down to the minor leagues yesterday. Bailey is back up with the club after being recalled today, and should stay in the lineup for the time being. Bailey, 22, has four points in 10 games for the Sabres this season.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Garret Sparks back to the AHL, likely indicating that Frederik Andersen will return for Tuesday’s game against the Lightning. Andersen is on track to return after a short injury period, along with star forward Auston Matthews. The Maple Leafs will welcome back their best two players while on a four-game winning streak, but still sit five points behind the Boston Bruins for second place in the Atlantic Division.
  • Similarly, Charlie Lindgren has been sent back to the AHL now that Carey Price is set to return for the Montreal Canadiens. Though Price won’t start right away, his return to health means Lindgren had to go back as he was on an emergency recall.
  • After the latest injury to Dallas Stars goaltender Ben Bishop, the team has recalled Mike McKenna once again. Dallas is struggling to stay in the playoff picture in the Western Conference, and will now have to rely on Kari Lehtonen once again to get them into the postseason.
  • Tristan Jarry has been sent back to the AHL, meaning Matt Murray will be ready to go for the Pittsburgh Penguins in short order. Murray hasn’t played in nearly a month, but could give the team a huge boost heading into the postseason. For now, Casey DeSmith will remain as the other goaltender in Pittsburgh, though Jarry could be recalled at any time.
  • Dillon Simpson has been recalled under emergency conditions for the Edmonton Oilers, which could result in the 25-year old’s first NHL games of the season. Simpson has played the entire year at the AHL level, recording 17 points in 56 games. A fourth-round pick, Simpson hasn’t ever been able to crack the Oilers lineup full-time.
  • Tim Heed is up once again for the San Jose Sharks, who have also activated Joel Ward from injured reserve today. Ward hasn’t played since February 8th, and could be a big boost to the bottom-six for a San Jose team looking ready to compete for the Stanley Cup once again. The Sharks sit second in the Central Division after their latest four-game win streak, and could be one of the toughest outs in the Western Conference once the playoffs begin.
  • The Calgary Flames have recalled Rasmus Andersson, but find themselves in an opposite situation from the Sharks. Calgary has gone 3-6-1 in their last ten games and find themselves out of the playoff picture. Though they’re not out of it entirely, they need a spark to turn things around immediately.

Minor Transactions: 03/15/18

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Yes, March Madness is about to open and unless your favorite NHL team is in the thick of a playoff race you might be tempted to turn on some basketball—the staff at Hoops Rumors certainly wouldn’t hold it against you—but there is still a lot going on around the hockey world. We’ll keep an eye on all the minor moves around the league, and update them right here. Check back between halves to make sure you don’t fall behind.

  • After Frederik Andersen left last night’s game for the Toronto Maple Leafs, the team has recalled Garret Sparks under emergency conditions. Andersen is out with an upper-body injury and won’t play tonight against the Buffalo Sabres, but there is no indication on how long he’ll be out. Sparks has been arguably the best goaltender in the AHL all season, and will get a chance to at least back up in tonight’s game.
  • The Boston Bruins have used two emergency recalls, bringing Anton Blidh and Paul Postma up from the minor leagues. The Bruins are dealing with injuries to Jake Debrusk, Zdeno Chara and Torey Krug, who all left the last game against the Carolina Hurricanes and did not return. It’s not clear which ones will be out for the team, but any of them would be tough blows for a team chasing the Tampa Bay Lightning for first place in the Eastern Conference (and perhaps the league).

Snapshots: Hoffman, Andersen, Carrier, AHL

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The Ottawa Senators already have one offer in hand for forward Mike Hoffman according to Darren Dreger of TSN, but it’s not enough to pry him away. The offer is for “futures” as Dreger calls them, and likely made up of a draft pick and prospect. It’s not clear which team has offered it, what prospect is involved or what round the pick would be from.

The idea that the Senators wouldn’t sell Hoffman for just a prospect and picks makes sense, as they aren’t looking to completely tear it down. This is a team that went out and acquired Matt Duchene earlier this year, and may only have one more year with Erik Karlsson under contract. More likely, the Senators would be looking for young roster players that can make an impact next season in any deal, though they haven’t come out and said that as of yet.

Matthew Tkachuk Suspended One Game

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2:20pm: Tkachuk has been suspended for one game according to John Shannon of Sportsnet. The Flames play tonight in Montreal. This is Tkachuk’s third suspension of his young career. As the accompanying video explains:

While the spear itself is not forceful or malicious enough to merit supplemental discipline on its own, two factors caused this play to rise to the level of a suspension. First, Tkachuk is on the bench when he intentionally strikes a player on the playing surface…second, Tkachuk is a repeat offender, having been suspended for a similar incident just ten games ago.

8:16am: The Department of Player Safety must have Matthew Tkachuk on speed-dial by now. The Calgary Flames forward will receive another hearing with the disciplinary committee after spearing Toronto Maple Leafs forward Matt Martin from the bench in last night’s game. Tkachuk, who wasn’t involved in the scrum at all, stuck his stick into Martin’s ribs without the officials noticing on the ice.

Matthew TkachukIt’s not the first time Tkachuk has been caught for a stick infraction like this. Just recently, he was suspended one game for his part in the Flames-Red Wings brawl, when he used his stick to goad Luke Witkowski back onto the ice. Witkowski was given an automatic 10-game ban for coming back after being ejected.

To be clear, the hearing isn’t for the act of spearing itself. Tkachuk is instead receiving it for “unsportsmanlike conduct” which likely has more to do with his history with the league. The young forward also received a two-game ban for elbowing Drew Doughty last season, and has built quite the reputation for himself already. The league likely believes they can put a stop to this kind of behavior by handing out a suspension for a play that was relatively innocuous, letting Tkachuk know that he has a target on his back.

The pesky Calgary forward has become one of the best in the league at getting under opponents’ skin, and did so last night against the Maple Leafs. He drew a cross-checking penalty on Jake Gardiner, when the Toronto defender got a little frustrated with his play, and was in Frederik Andersen’s crease all night. Though Maple Leafs head coach Mike Babcock praised Tkachuk’s overall game, he called the spear “junior hockey stuff” and said that he’d learn not to do it eventually.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Options In Net For The Edmonton Oilers

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Things went from bad to worse for the Edmonton Oilers’ 2017-18 season when dependable starting goaltender Cam Talbot went down with and upper body injury and landed on IR and could remain out through December. His replacement, Laurent Brossoit, is struggling and that’s putting it gently. In 8 appearances, Brossoit has one win, an .872 save percentage, and a 3.80 GAA. Neither of the backup options, Nick Ellis or Eddie Pasquale, has any NHL experience, nor has either been given a chance to gain any just yet, nor has either played remarkably well in the AHL as well. It’s a dire situation for a team that is desperate for wins, or else the face a familiar possibility of finishing as one of the league’s worst teams this season.

So what are the options? TSN’s Frank Servalli believes that Oilers GM Peter Chiarelli is scouring the trade market for help in net. Servalli lists Buffalo’s Chad Johnson, Winnipeg’s Michael Hutchinson, Philadelphia’s Michal Neuvirth, Toronto’s Calvin Pickard, and Detroit’s Petr Mrazek as the top targets for Edmonton.

Johnson, of course, is known to be on the trade block courtesy of the Sabres’ own struggles and seems to be the best fit of these options as a reliable veteran on a one-year deal. Servalli even states that Johnson, along with Neuvirth, were among the Chiarelli’s free agency targets to be Talbot’s backup. However, as Servalli points out, there could be other suitors for Johnson, which could drive the price up.

More affordable assets to acquire could be Hutchinson or Pickard, due to their teams’ depth in goal. The Maple Leafs acquired Pickard from the Vegas Golden Knights earlier this year, but with Frederik Andersen playing well, a veteran backup in Curtis McElhinney, and other promising young goalies in Garret Sparks and Kasimir Kaskisuo in line, Pickard is expendable. So too could be McElhinney or Sparks as well, if Chiarelli favors those Toronto alternatives. In Winnipeg, the thriving Jets are doing just fine with Connor Hellebuyck, rookie Eric Comrie, and expensive free agent acquistion Steve Mason as their net rotation. A solid goaltender with ties to Chiarelli from the Boston Bruins, fourth-string Hutchinson seems like a likely target.

Mrazek and Neuvirth less so. Mrazek is still young, is making $4MM, and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season. It is likely that he would be costly to acquire and costly to re-sign, when the Oilers really just need a stopgap. Neuvirth, who has a year remaining at $2.5MM, could replace Brossoit as the long-term backup to Talbot if Chiarelli so chooses, but also seems like an unlikely acquisition. AHL goaltenders from both the Red Wings and Flyers – Jared Coreau and Alex Lyon – might actually make more sense.

Other options: Eddie Lack or David Rittich from the rival Calgary Flames, Colorado’s Andrew Hammond, Anaheim’s Reto Berra, L.A.’s Jack Campbell or Jeff Zatkoff, and several more. The options are there, so the pressure is on Chiarelli to find a fair deal and to do it soon. Edmonton may simply lose upcoming games regardless of who is in net, but if the team continues forward with only Brossoit, the blame will fall on the front office for not doing something to at least increase their chances.

Snapshots: IIHF HOF, Players Of The Month, Devils

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The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) named their 2018 Hall of Fame class today, with several notable NHL names among them. Former stars Daniel Alfredsson, Rob Blake, Chris Chelios, and Jere Lehtinen will all be immortalized for their impressive international careers. Between them, the Swede, Canadian, American, and Finn have 16 Olympic Games and 8 Olympic medals, to of course go along with outstanding professional careers. Builders Philippe Lacarriere, a former European player and IIHF Councilman, and Bob Nadin, a long-time referee, will also be inducted.

  • In terms of current recognition, the NHL announced the top players of the month of November today. The Three Stars of the Month were Colorado Avalanche star center Nathan MacKinnon at #1, Toronto Maple Leafs keeper Frederik Andersen at #2, and new St. Louis Blue Brayden Schenn at #3. MacKinnon was a point per game player last month, notching five goals and fifteen assists in 12 games for the Avs. Andersen kept the Leafs going with nine wins, a 2.14 GAA, and .938 save percentage. Schenn was arguably better than either despite coming in third, with seven goals and twelve assists in just 12 games, bringing his season total to 30 points in 25 contests. Vancouver Canucks winger Brock Boeser was named the Rookie of the Month behind his 16 points in 15 games, as the young scorer has kept the Canucks afloat early on and leads all first-year players in scoring.
  • If there was an award for Team of the Month, it could have easily gone to the New Jersey Devils. The Devils have somehow survived another month at or near the top of the toughest division in hockey, the Metropolitan, despite little expectation that they would even be a playoff contender in 2017-18. To cap off the month, they swung a deal to acquire a much-needed elite defenseman yesterday as well. The Devils are just getting started though – the team announced that Sami Vatanen caught a cross-country flight, took part in morning skate, and will make his debut tonight and joining him will be Marcus Johansson, the big off-season acquisition, who is returning from a long injury absence. November was a great month for the Devils, but December is starting off even stronger.

What Your Team Is Thankful For: Toronto Maple Leafs

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As the holiday season approaches, PHR will look at what teams are thankful for as the season nears the quarter point of completion. There also might be a few things your team would like down the road. We take a look at what’s gone well in the first month and what could improve as the season rolls on. So far we’ve covered ANA, ARZ, BUF, CGY, CAR, CBJ, COL, DET, LAK, NYI, STL, WSH, and VGK.

What are the Toronto Maple Leafs most thankful for?

A diverse front office.

When Brendan Shanahan took over as President of the Maple Leafs in 2014, the team was reeling from a late-season collapse that took them out of the playoffs and showed what the club was really made of. Shanahan was a new voice, running a team for the first time since his Hall of Fame playing career ended and within the next few years he would surround himself with a diverse group.

Lou Lamoriello, a legendary GM who had been with the New Jersey Devils for nearly 30 years was brought in to orchestrate the team’s tear down and subsequent rebuild, scouting guru Mark Hunter and whiz-kid Kyle Dubas were added to give the group a few different voices, and Mike Babcock was brought in as coach. Though his role is technically not in the front office, Babcock has a big impact on personnel, including recruiting trips to Russia to bring in extra talent.

The Maple Leafs blew up the team, trading away key players like Phil Kessel and Dion Phaneuf for underwhelming returns and added several top prospects over the last few seasons. Now everything is coming together for Shanahan and company, and some tough decisions will have to be made on how to navigate their upcoming salary obstacles. With the versatility that’s been shown so far from this group, Maple Leafs fans should feel secure in their team’s future.

Frederik AndersenWho are the Maple Leafs most thankful for?

Frederik Andersen.

Yes, things changed in Toronto right around the time Auston Matthews got to town. Last season was built on nightly incredible performances by the rookie, helping the team jump from dead last in the league to a playoff spot overnight. But it was also the first season for Andersen, who immediately (or, at least after a shaky October) gave stability to the Maple Leafs’ crease and helped the team become a contender.

This season after another inconsistent first month, Andersen has shown even more improvement and remains arguably the most important part of the Maple Leafs. Carrying a .958 save percentage over his last eight games, Andersen is looking the part of an All-Star level goaltender and one that could legitimately take the young Maple Leafs team deep into the playoffs. Leading the league in minutes, shots faced and saves, it’s not clear where the team would be without their top netminder.

What would the Maple Leafs be even more thankful for?

Consistency from two of their “Big Three”

While Matthews has still led the team in points even as he works through a mysterious upper-body injury, both Mitch Marner and William Nylander have had their share of troubles. Both have been relegated to the fourth line at times, and though their point totals would be more than acceptable for any other sophomores these two have already shown higher highs.

Both scored 61 points last season and were expected to improve on those totals in their second full-seasons. They’ve combined for just four even-strength goals, but it’s not all bad. Babcock told the media after last night’s 4-1 win in Calgary that he though it was Marner’s best of the season, and the pair is shooting a combined 5.6%. That number is sure to improve over the year, making the Maple Leafs even more dangerous down the stretch.

What should be on the Maple Leafs Holiday Wish List?

Another full-time defenseman.

Andreas Borgman has been a revelation for the Maple Leafs this season, coming over from the SHL to jump right onto their third pairing. The 21-year old Swede doesn’t log a ton of ice time for the team, as he’s not on either special teams group, but has still shown an ability to play on a nightly basis.

The other side of that third pairing though hasn’t been as stable. Babcock has shuffled through Connor Carrick, Roman Polak and Calle Rosen at different points this year, and the team could benefit from that revolving door becoming a little more stationary in the second half. Pittsburgh’s Ian Cole has been linked to them recently, though a right-handed option would likely be more beneficial.

Interestingly, the Maple Leafs do have quite a bit of trade capital as they head towards the deadline. James van Riemsdyk, Leo Komarov and Tyler Bozak are all pending unrestricted free agents, while the team carries an extra second-round pick from a previous trade with the San Jose Sharks. It seems unlikely that they’ll try to make a huge splash on the defensive market, but an addition that could be trusted on the penalty kill and play a full-time role of 15-18 minutes a night would help take some pressure off the rest of the group.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Three Stars, Bouwmeester, Eichel, Backes, Borowiecki

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The NHL announced their “Three Stars” of the week ending on Nov. 19, with Carolina Hurricane’s Teuvo Teravainen taking top honors after a week in which he led the NHL with five goals and 10 assists in four games. The 23-year-old forward posted his first NHL hat trick against the Dallas Stars on Nov. 13, then had two assists on Nov. 16 against the New York Islanders. He had one assist against the Buffalo Sabres two days later before putting up two goals and another assist against the Islanders Sunday.

Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Frederik Andersen and Colorado Avalanche’s center Nathan MacKinnon each received the second and third stars of the week, respectively. Andersen was perfect in two starts for Toronto, stopping 75 shots and helping Toronto to a six-game winning streak, while MacKinnon scored two goals and had five assists in the team’s two wins. The 22-year-old had career highs with four assists and five points in the team’s victory over the Washington Capitals on Nov. 16.

  • St. Louis Blues head coach Mike Yeo said the plan is to take defenseman Jay Bouwmeester off injured reserve today and is expected to return to the lineup for Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, according to St. Louis Post-Dispatch’s Jim Thomas. The 34-year-old blueliner has not played yet this year due to an ankle fracture, but should provide a big boost to the team’s penalty killing unit immediately. Thomas also notes that Patrik Berglund will not play versus Edmonton on Tuesday, but is inching closer to a return to the ice after missing the entire season so far after undergoing shoulder surgery.
  • Buffalo Sabres center Jack Eichel looks to have been demoted to the team’s third line at Monday’s practice ahead of their game tonight against the Columbus Blue Jackets, according to Amy Moritz of The Buffalo News. Head coach Phil Housley placed him with Zemgus Girgensons and Jason Pominville. “We’re obviously trying to get things going and switch things up so we’ll see tonight,” Eichel said of the new line combinations. “No message. It’s part of the game.”
  • Steven Harris of the Boston Herald writes that just three weeks removed after having part of his colon removed, Boston Bruins’ David Backes returned to practice today in a non-contact sweater. Despite an eight-week prognosis, Backes was skating, shooting and handling pucks. “The doc’s advice (was), if it doesn’t hurt, I can continue to progress and add more workload on,” said Backes. “I haven’t been notified that the timeline has changed at all. So I’m just going to keep putting in the work.”
  • Edmonton Sun’s Ken Warren reported that Ottawa Senators defenseman Mark Borowiecki will return to Ottawa after sustaining a viscous hit Sunday from New York Rangers defenseman Brandon Smith that left the Senators’ blueliner momentarily unconscious after he hit the boards. He will be further evaluated once he returns to Ottawa, and could miss significant time as coach Guy Boucher referred to the injury as a concussion.

Maple Leafs Notes: Andersen, Rielly, Marner, Rask

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The Toronto Maple Leafs started the season scoring tons of points, but still finding it hard to close out games as their defense and their goaltending was under constant scrutiny. Things looked even worse last week when they team wrapped up its road trip and allowed 11 goals in two games against the St. Louis Blues and Los Angeles Kings combined. However, the tide seems to be turning and suddenly the goaltending seems to have shaken their rust off, according to Eric Koreen of The Athletic (subscription required).

The scribe points out that starting goaltender Frederik Andersen has steadied the ship on their recent three-game homestand in which Andersen has allowed just seven goals in three games, a much stronger percentage that previously. With a save percentage hovering well under .900, Andersen seems to have settled down in net this week with a .930 save percentage. Even backup Curtis McElhinney got into the act, putting up a strong performance Saturday against the Boston Bruins, stopping 38 of 39 shots for the win.

Koreen admits that Toronto’s defense has improved, but the goaltenders have had to make quite a few big saves during the games, suggesting that if the goaltenders can keep it up, the team should find itself continually atop of the Eastern Conference standings.

  • Howard Berger of Between the Posts praises the offensive play of Toronto Maple Leafs’ Morgan Rielly. He notes that Rielly is the unsung hero of the team as he has quietly put up 16 points in 19 games so far this year. Only John Klingberg, Kevin Shattenkirk and Erik Karlsson have more points for a defenseman that Rielly, who is on pace to amass 74 points on the year, which would be the fourth-highest number for a Toronto Maple Leafs blueliner. Rielly’s highest points total in his career is 36 points, which he attained in the 2015-16 season.
  • James Mirtle of The Athletic writes that the Maple Leafs have high hopes that Mitch Marner can get back on track after a quality performance against the Boston Bruins on Friday night. He points out that after 55 games last year, Marner was 22nd in scoring, but then got injured and has never really seemed the same since then. In fact, he’s had just five goals in his last 39 games from that point on. He finished the season with 19 goals and 61 points, but has struggled this season. However, with Auston Matthews down, Marner stepped up and has started to show his skills on the ice. He added his second goal of the season last night, suggesting he might be ready to be a key contributor to the team going forward.
  • Lance Hornby of The Toronto Sun writes that the Maple Leafs are beginning to find some success against goaltender Tuukka Rask, best known to be one of the worst trades the team has made in a long time. Rask’s rights (he was a first-round pick in 2005) were traded back in 2006 in exchange for goaltender Andrew Raycroft, who started one year for Toronto and put up a 2.99 GAA that year before taking a backup role the next year. The team, however, has had some success against the now-veteran, 10 years later, as they have bested him in their last four meetings, dating back to last year.

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