Frederik Gauthier

Frederik Gauthier Signs Two-Year Contract With Toronto Maple Leafs

July 11, 2018 at 1:33 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee 7 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed one of their restricted free agents, inking Frederik Gauthier to a two-year, two-way contract that carries an average annual value of $675K. Gauthier wasn’t eligible for arbitration, but some were surprised he even received a qualifying offer from the Maple Leafs who are already closing in on the 50-contract limit.

Gauthier, 23, was selected in the first round by the Maple Leafs five years ago, but hasn’t turned into the powerful two-way center many believed he could be. Instead he’s struggled to even produce offense at the minor league level, scoring just 49 points in 159 career AHL contests. He played just nine games for the Maple Leafs last season, and may not even get that much of a chance now that the team has even more depth down the middle. John Tavares will command more minutes than Tyler Bozak ever did, while Josh Jooris and Par Lindholm are both contenders to take over on the fourth line. It would likely take some injuries for Gauthier to see the NHL, meaning he’ll set his sights on another Calder Cup with the Toronto Marlies instead.

On the Marlies, Gauthier has a clear role. Not asked to do much offensively, he is still a big part of their team and lines up against the opponent’s best on a nightly basis. He’ll re-join veterans like Colin Greening and Chris Mueller along with newcomer Adam Cracknell as the core of what could be another revolving door season for the AHL club. Maple Leafs’ GM Kyle Dubas has developed a minor league development system with more players than roster spots, and Gauthier will be asked to help along those other young players as they try to reach their full potential.

Gauthier will be a restricted free agent still when the contract is finished, unless of course he fails to play in 43 NHL games over the next two seasons. That would make him eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency, something that looks like a distinct possibility without real positive development in his offensive repertoire.

Snapshots: Maple Leafs Future, McDonagh, Price, Ferland

March 3, 2018 at 6:51 pm CDT | by Holger Stolzenberg 1 Comment

While armed with top talent to make a Stanley Cup run now, the Toronto Maple Leafs will also have quite a few decisions to make after this season. For purposes of their playoff run, the team held onto its two key unrestricted free agents in Tyler Bozak and James van Riemsdyk. However, there is an extreme likelihood the team will move on from those two after the season. The team’s salary cap will continue to tighten over the next couple of years, especially with the pending extensions of Auston Matthews, William Nylander and Mitch Marner. In fact, all three could be extended this summer, although Nylander is the only one who will be a restricted free agent when the offseason begins.

Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star writes that its unlikely either Bozak or van Riesmdyk will return. Bozak is especially unlikely as he will be highly coveted by teams that are in need of a center and might overpay to sign him, something that Toronto cannot afford to do. Van Riemsdyk is another player, who puts up lots of goals, but lacks in other areas and McGran writes that he could see coach Mike Babcock wanting to move on as well.

What other options are out there? One legitimate possibility would be for the Maple Leafs to go out and sign KHL star and former NHLer Ilya Kovalchuk. The 34-year-old winger might be a perfect replacement for van Riemsdyk and would be much cheaper. Kovalchuk is coming off his best two seasons in the KHL as well as leading Russia to a gold medal and winning the MVP award at the Olympics a couple of weeks ago.

McGran also mentions Joe Thornton, Patrick Marleau’s former teammate and buddy would be an interesting possibility to replace Bozak. While he’s coming off a tough injury, Thornton would provide the team with more leadership and experience. Russian defenseman Igor Ozhiganov of CSKA Moscow has also been linked to the Maple Leafs. Among the top in-house candidates, McGran points to wingers Andreas Johnsson and Carl Grundstrom along with centers Miro Aaltonen and Frederik Gauthier as players who could fill out Toronto’s line next season. The team should also have some defensive depth options in Calle Rosen, Andreas Borgman and Timothy Liljegren.

Tampa Bay Times’ Joe Smith writes that while the Tampa Bay Lightning attempted to pry defenseman Erik Karlsson from Ottawa at the trade deadline, the acquisition of defenseman Ryan McDonagh was hardly a fallback option. The general belief is that McDonagh might prove to be a better fit within the Lightning system. McDonagh, who might be ready to play in Tuesday’s game against the Florida Panthers, is considered to be the better shutdown guy who has the more well-rounded game than Karlsson. “McDonagh is one of the most well-rounded defensemen in the league,” said two-time Stanley Cup-winning defenseman Brian Engblom, the Lightning’s Fox Sports Sun color analyst. “He’s a No. 1 on any team — a 1A-1B with Victor Hedman, and that’s only because Victor is Victor. (McDonagh) thinks about the right net first. “That doesn’t mean he’s not good passing the puck or making plays. He can play in any situation. He’s really mobile, really smart. He covers up a lot of mistakes by other people. He’s pretty much everything you want to list in an all-around defenseman.”
Montreal Canadiens goaltender Carey Price skated for the first time since suffering a condition on Feb. 22, according to TVA Sports Renaud Lavoie. While he still has a ways to go, the hope is that Price will be able to practice with the team soon. Price has had a tough season as the 30-year-old has struggled with injuries. He has a 2.98 GAA and a .904 save percentage, which is not great for a goalie whose eight-year, $84MM extension kicks in next season.
Postmedia’s Kristen Anderson writes that Calgary Flames winger Micheal Ferland will return to action on Monday on the team’s top line against the Pittsburgh Penguins. Ferland, who is having a breakout season, has missed the last four games with an undisclosed injury. He has 20 goals and 14 assists this season, a career-best.

Minor Transactions: 01/15/18

January 15, 2018 at 8:59 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The NHL is back at it after an eventful weekend, and now have just a couple of weeks until another break for the All-Star game. Things are tightening up in the standings, and the next month will feature teams finally deciding to sell at the deadline. For all the league’s minor moves, keep it right here.

With the Calgary Flames heading onto their bye week, the team has reassigned Marek Hrivik, Andrew Mangiapane and Ryan Lomberg to the AHL. The Flames don’t play again until Saturday, and will let the trio get into some more game action for the Stockton Heat in the meantime.
The St. Louis Blues are back in action tomorrow after their own bye week, and have recalled three players from the minor leagues. Vince Dunn, Tage Thompson and Ivan Barbashev are all on their way back up from various AHL appointments, and should get back to helping out the NHL squad.
Similarly, the Nashville Predators have flipped Anders Lindback and Juuse Saros once again, bringing the latter back up after giving him some game action during their bye week. Saros got into three games for the Milwaukee Admirals, stopping 94 of 97 shots.
The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought Travis Dermott and Frederik Gauthier back up as expected, but interestingly given Dermott a new number. The young defenseman was wearing #23 for the Maple Leafs at practice according to Kristen Shilton of TSN, instead of the #3 he wore in his first few games.
Peter Holland is back in the NHL, recalled by the New York Rangers today. The team sent Boo Nieves back in his place, giving the team a different look in their forward group. Holland was acquired by the Rangers earlier this year in exchange for Adam Cracknell, but this would be his first action this season should he get into the lineup. Holland was a first-round pick in 2009, but has never quite reached his potential as a top-six center.

Minor Transactions: 01/11/18

January 11, 2018 at 9:07 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Another slow night in the NHL this Thursday as only three games are on the schedule, but as we saw with the Anthony Duclair trade yesterday a move can come at any time. We’ll keep track of all the minor comings and goings around the league right here. Make sure to refresh throughout the day to keep track of your favorite team.

The Columbus Blue Jackets have swapped goaltenders again, bringing Joonas Korpisalo back up after getting a start in the minor leagues last night. Korpisalo was never in danger of losing his backup role, but the team wanted him to stay fresh. Matiss Kivlenieks, called up in his absence, has been returned to the Cleveland Monsters.
The Toronto Maple Leafs head into their bye week after a disappointing loss to the Ottawa Senators, and have loaned Travis Dermott and Frederik Gauthier back to the AHL to continue to get into some games. Dermott and Gauthier have made solid impacts on the team since joining recently, but are still young enough to benefit from continued ice time and development. When the Maple Leafs come back in five days, you can bet both players will get the recall.

Minor Transactions: 01/02/18

January 2, 2018 at 9:25 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

As always, we’ll keep track of all the day’s minor transactions right here. Make sure to keep checking back throughout the day.

The Toronto Maple Leafs have returned Calvin Pickard to the minor leagues after a short stint and just one start, as Curtis McElhinney must have recovered from his injury. In Pickard’s place, Toronto has recalled Frederik Gauthier from the AHL to give themselves some extra forward depth. Gauthier has played well of late for the Marlies, but doesn’t offer a lot of offensive upside.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/02/17

October 2, 2017 at 8:18 am CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

Training camp is over for all the clubs around the NHL, and the season begins on Wednesday. By tomorrow evening, all teams must submit their cap-compliant 23-man roster, meaning there will be several cuts today. We’ll keep track of them all right here, as teams try to slip players through waivers or send them back to junior and European clubs.

Anaheim Ducks

F Giovanni Fiore – San Diego (AHL)
F Kalle Kossila – San Diego (AHL)
F Scott Sabourin – San Diego (AHL)
D Jacob Larsson – San Diego (AHL)

Boston Bruins

F Jordan Szwarz – Providence (AHL)
F Tommy Cross – Providence (AHL)
F Jakub Zboril – Providence (AHL)
F Peter Cehlarik – Providence (AHL)
F Danton Heinen – Providence (AHL)
F Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson – Providence (AHL)
F Teddy Purcell – Released from PTO
G Malcolm Subban – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Calgary Flames

D Rasmus Andersson – Stockton (AHL)
G Jon Gillies – Stockton (AHL)
F Luke Gazdic – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Garnet Hathaway – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Carolina Hurricanes

F Lucas Wallmark – Charlotte (AHL)
F Phillip Di Giuseppe – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Chicago Blachawks

F Vinnie Hinostroza – Rockford (AHL)
F Jordin Tootoo – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Tomas Jurco – Waivers for purpose of assignment
G Jean-Francois Berube – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Colorado Avalanche

F Gabriel Bourque – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Dallas Stars

F Remi Elie – Texas (AHL)
F Roope Hintz – Texas (AHL)
F Jason Dickinson – Texas (AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Patrik Nemeth – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Detroit Red Wings

D Libor Sulak – Lahti (Finland)
F Matt Lorito – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Ben Street – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Brian Lashoff – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F David Booth – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Ryan Sproul – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Los Angeles Kings

F Brooks Laich – Released from PTO

Minnesota Wild

F Luke Kunin – Iowa (AHL)
D Ryan Murphy – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Montreal Canadiens

G Charlie Lindgren – Laval (AHL)
F Andreas Martinsen – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Byron Froese – Waivers for purpose of assignment

New Jersey Devils

F Brian Gibbons – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Brian Strait – Waivers for purpose of assignment

New York Islanders

F Devon Toews – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Stephen Gionta – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Steve Bernier – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Philadelphia Flyers

F Matt Read – Waivers for purpose of assignment

San Jose Sharks

F Brandon Bollig – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Brandon Mashinter – Waivers for purpose of assignment
G Troy Grosenick – Waivers for purpose of assignment

St. Louis Blues

F Sammy Blais – San Antonio (AHL)
D Jake Walman – Chicago (AHL)
G Jordan Binnington – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Cory Conacher – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Carl Grundstrom – Frolunda (SHL)
F Miro Aaltonen – Toronto (AHL)
F Frederik Gauthier – Toronto (AHL)
F Andreas Johnsson – Toronto (AHL)
F Kasperi Kapanen – Toronto (AHL)
F Tobias Lindberg – Toronto (AHL)
F Trevor Moore – Toronto (AHL)
F Nikita Soshnikov – Toronto (AHL)
F Dmytro Timashov – Toronto (AHL)
F Mason Marchment – Toronto (AHL)
D Travis Dermott – Toronto (AHL)
D Justin Holl – Toronto (AHL)
D Andrew Nielsen – Toronto (AHL)
D Michael Paliotta – Toronto (AHL)
D Rinat Valiev – Toronto (AHL)
G Kasimir Kaskisuo – Toronto (AHL)
F Colin Greening – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Chris Mueller – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Kerby Rychel – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Ben Smith – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
D Vincent LoVerde – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
G Garret Sparks – Waivers for purpose of assignment.

Vancouver Canucks

D Andrey Pedan – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Vegas Golden Knights

F Teemu Pulkkinen – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Washington Capitals

F Anthony Peluso – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Winnipeg Jets

F Jack Roslovic – Manitoba (AHL)
F Brendan Lemieux – Manitoba (AHL)
F Michael Spacek – Manitoba (AHL)
F J.C. Lipon – Waivers for purpose of assignment.

Atlantic Notes: Bertuzzi, Namestnikov, Gauthier

August 26, 2017 at 2:15 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Although he had only a minor role with the Red Wings last season and has waiver exemption remaining, the team expects winger Tyler Bertuzzi to break camp with the big club in October, writes Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Bertuzzi played in just seven games with Detroit in 2016-17 and averaged just nine minutes per game but played quite well with AHL Grand Rapids in the playoffs where he collected 19 points (9-10-19) in 19 contests.

St. James adds that there are those in the organization who believe the 22-year-old would be best suited to start in the minors once again but both GM Ken Holland and head coach Jeff Blashill are among those who would like to see him start with the Red Wings. The fact that Bertuzzi is on a league minimum contract will certainly help his case considering their current salary cap situation. However, because of that and his waiver exemption, there’s a good chance that Bertuzzi will be forced to go back and forth a lot during the year in an effort to open up a bit of wiggle room during the season.

Snapshots: Gauthier, Blues, Lagesson

May 8, 2017 at 1:15 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Toronto Marlies will be without Frederik Gauthier for the remainder of their AHL playoff run, and the young center may miss his chance to make the NHL club at the beginning of next season. David Alter of The Athletic reports that Gauthier will have a lower-body surgery and is facing a six month recovery after being hit late by Syracuse Crunch defender Jake Dotchin.

As you can see in the twitter timeline of Jeff Veillette linked above, Dotchin has a history with the Maple Leafs this season, spread between his time in the AHL and NHL. From injuring Kasperi Kapanen with a low hit, to taking a kneeing penalty on Auston Matthews, he’s become enemy #1 in Toronto. Gauthier will now likely miss training camp, meaning the Maple Leafs can’t pencil him into the fourth-line center role that he may have taken. With Ben Smith recently re-signed for expansion draft purposes, perhaps the team will return to him to start the year in that position.

The St. Louis Blues have sent Jordan Schmaltz, Ivan Barbashev and Zach Sanford to the Chicago Wolves to give their AHL team a boost for the remainder of the playoffs. While Schmaltz had been bouncing back and forth to play in most of the Wolves’ postseason games, Barbashev and Sanford will come as a huge positive for a Wolves team that is down 2-1 against the Grand Rapids Griffins in the second round. Both forwards are excellent AHL scorers and will add to the Wolves’ already potent attack.
Edmonton has assigned William Lagesson to Djurgardens of the Swedish Hockey League after he turned pro last month. The defender had been playing for UMass-Amherst for the past two seasons, but will return to his native Sweden for the time being. The fourth-round pick from 2014 still needs work to put himself in legitimate NHL prospect status, and that will now continue for Djurgardens who lost a minute-muncher in Emil Johansson to the Providence Bruins in March.

Atlantic Notes: Gionta, Sabres, Gauthier

February 28, 2017 at 4:59 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The captain wants to stay. That’s what Brian Gionta is telling the Buffalo Sabres and their fans, as he plays through the final year of his current contract. Bill Hoppe of the Buffalo Hockey Beat published a piece today that quotes Gionta reiterating his hope to stay a Sabre through the end of the season and beyond if they’ll have him.

I’ve made my position pretty clear. I’d like to stay here. I’d like to be here going on in the future. I want to see this thing through.

Gionta isn’t the player that scored 48 goals and 89 points in 2005-06, but he is still a reliable winger and huge leadership presence among a young team building for the future. As the reins are handed over to teenage phenoms and 20-something stars, Gionta could still be a positive influence even at the age of 38. As his $4.25MM contract expires this season, perhaps the Sabres will look to bring him back on a shorter, much less expensive deal in the summer.

The Sabres in general will be involved in rumors right up to the deadline tomorrow, as Dmitry Kulikov and Cody Franson are two of the most talked about names left among defensemen. Joe Yerdon of NHL.com reports that the entire lineup including goaltenders is a game-time decision for the Sabres tonight. With the team struggling to find the success of their contemporaries, it’s very likely that they sell off some expiring assets in order to help facilitate the ongoing rebuild. Though the team thought it may be coming out of it this summer, it looks like another bottom-ten finish for the Sabres is on the horizon.
Brian Boyle will make his debut in the Maple Leafs lineup tonight and he’s bringing help with him. Both Mitch Marner and Tyler Bozak are expected to play, meaning that there was no longer room for Frederik Gauthier on the roster. The big centerman was sent to the Marlies when the Leafs activated Marner off injured reserve.

Atlantic Notes: Playoff Push, Carrick, Panthers

February 27, 2017 at 4:45 pm CDT | by Gavin Lee Leave a Comment

The Atlantic is the most exciting division in hockey right now, and not necessarily for the product on the ice. Often thought of as the weakest in the league this season due to the low point totals, three teams made deals today to strengthen their squads, while another continued their sell off of expiring assets. The Maple Leafs acquired Brian Boyle from Tampa Bay, Ottawa brought in Alex Burrows from Vancouver, and Montreal swapped defenseman to get Jordie Benn into the fold.

With just five points separating first and fourth place in the division, the last 20 games are sure to be full of fireworks. With Boston the only squad of the four yet to make an acquisition, time will tell if they feel the pressure of the other three and move to improve their team in the coming hours. We’re now less 46 hours away from the deadline, and things are heating up in the Atlantic.

The Maple Leafs received some further good news today when they had Tyler Bozak and Mitch Marner back as full participants at practice. Both players are expected to suit up tomorrow against the San Jose Sharks alongside the newly acquired Boyle. To make room for Marner coming back off injured reserve, defenseman Connor Carrick has replaced him there according to Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun. If Boyle makes it in time, the team will have to send down another player—likely Frederik Gauthier—before the game.
Craig Custance of ESPN reported earlier that phones have been ringing in Buffalo after their terrible weekend. Whether anything gets done is still yet to be decided, but Custance assures fretting Sabres fans that at least no Evander Kane conversations were taking place.
Custance also says that though Radim Vrbata looks like a great fit for the Bruins, “as many as ten teams” are in on the Arizona winger, making it a tough call to project where he’ll end up. After the deals today, perhaps Boston is a little more pressured to acquire a scoring winger like Vrbata.
The Florida Panthers shouldn’t be ruled out of the playoff picture either, as they’re only three points back of the Maple Leafs for the final wildcard spot. Executive Dale Tallon had a Q&A with NHL.com today, admitting that he is a buyer this year (as is his hope every year). Tallon recently told the media that he wanted to address his powerplay if they were to do something, a unit that has fallen to 25th in the league at just 16%.

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