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Garret Sparks

Toronto Maple Leafs Shopping Garret Sparks

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The Toronto Maple Leafs watched this postseason as past goaltenders suited up for other teams. Not only did they have to watch Tuukka Rask, a Maple Leafs’ draft pick, nearly take home the Stanley Cup with the Boston Bruins, but even Curtis McElhinney with the Carolina Hurricanes eight months after losing him on waivers. McElhinney was excellent for the Hurricanes all season when called upon while Garret Sparks, the goaltender that was kept instead, struggled at various times throughout the year. Sparks finished with just a .902 save percentage through 20 appearances, and now may be headed somewhere else. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that the Maple Leafs are “quietly” shopping Sparks in trade talks.

Sparks, 25, actually signed a one-year contract extension with the Maple Leafs just a few months ago, a deal that will pay him $750K next season. That kind of low cap hit is exactly what Toronto needs from their backup goaltender given how much they’re spending on the rest of the roster, but they also need some consistency in net behind Frederik Andersen. Andersen has started more games and faced more shots than any other netminder over the past three seasons, something that likely won’t change unless Sparks takes a necessary step forward or the Maple Leafs bring in a different option.

They can’t spend much more than that $750K however, given the incoming contracts for Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. Even if the team is able to rid themselves of Nikita Zaitsev and Patrick Marleau they will still be in a cap crunch where every dollar counts. There are several veteran options on the market this summer, but a rare few (if any) will be taking close to the league minimum.

There is also the situation behind Sparks for the Maple Leafs to worry about. Kasimir Kaskisuo likely pencils in as the third option on the depth chart, and the 25-year old has struggled at times in the AHL. Toronto does have Ian Scott and Joseph Woll in the system, but both are just about to start their professional careers and shouldn’t be relied on for anything at this point.

Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Michael Hutchinson

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11:35am: In a turn of events, Sparks was not at practice and his locker room stall has been removed according to Kristen Shilton of TSN. Head coach Mike Babcock said after practice that the goaltender would work on his own with the coaches to try and get his confidence back. Hutchinson will serve as backup for the time being.

8:42am: The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t been able to rely on backup goaltender Garret Sparks recently, who has won just a single game in his last eight appearances while posting an .891 save percentage during that time. Today, they made the interesting move of recalling Michael Hutchinson from the minor leagues. The Toronto Marlies, who are in a playoff position but have not clinched yet, play today and tomorrow.

Hutchinson is the fourth regular recall for the Maple Leafs, and will need waivers if the team wanted to send him back down. Sparks would also require waivers and is ineligible to play for the Marlies in the playoffs, meaning this move is likely just to give the Maple Leafs a third goaltender as they prepare for their first round series against the Boston Bruins. Obviously there could be an injury that hasn’t been announced, but so far Frederik Andersen is still scheduled to start game 82 against the Montreal Canadiens on Saturday night.

While Andersen is the obvious choice to start against the Bruins as well, Hutchinson’s presence gives the team an interesting decision on who to dress as a backup or insert into the net if needed. Sparks was retained at the beginning of the season over both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard because of his relative youth and success in the minor leagues, but now has just a .902 save percentage on the year and .898 across 37 NHL appearances. Hutchinson meanwhile performed well for the Maple Leafs after coming over in a trade earlier this year, but has also had his fair share of struggles in the minor leagues.

The Maple Leafs also technically have Joseph Woll on the NHL roster, but the young goaltender is working to graduate from Boston College early and is not expected to see any action outside of the odd practice.

Toronto Maple Leafs Extend Garret Sparks

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The Toronto Maple Leafs made a decision at the beginning of this season to make Garret Sparks their backup goaltender, and it appears as though that won’t change for now. The Maple Leafs have signed Sparks on a one-year extension that carries a salary of $750K. Sparks was set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility this summer after his current two-year $1.35MM contract expires.

Sparks, 25, was handed the full-time backup role when the Maple Leafs decided to put both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard on waivers at the beginning of the season. Both goaltenders were claimed leaving the team bereft of any depth at the position, and just a Frederik Andersen injury away from seeing Sparks in net on a regular basis. While Andersen did deal with a minor injury at one point, the Maple Leafs starting goaltender has been brilliant and is now tied with Marc Andre-Fleury for the league lead in wins with 32. Sparks meanwhile has played in just 14 games and carries a .902 save percentage.

That number has upset many fans, who point to Michael Hutchinson or the other available goaltenders as better options. Hutchinson was acquired during the year to give them some more experience in the minor leagues, but actually performed better than Sparks in his short stint in the NHL.

Still, the organization obviously believes that Sparks can be a positive for the organization. It certainly doesn’t hurt that when Kyle Dubas was still GM of the Toronto Marlies last season, Sparks was named Goaltender of the Year en route to a Calder Cup championship. He had an incredible .936 save percentage on the year in the AHL, not the first time he has shown outstanding ability in the minor leagues.

There is something different about being a backup in the NHL though, and Sparks has yet to really find his groove as a goaltender who only plays once every few weeks. Head coach Mike Babcock is notorious for only giving his second goaltender a start on the back half of a back-to-back situation, games that are already more difficult for the team to win because of fatigue.

This extension keeps Sparks in the organization for another year, but also sets him up to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020. At that point he could try to find another opportunity where he can fight for a starting role, one that he’s certainly not going to get in Toronto while Andersen remains at the top of his game. This also doesn’t preclude the Maple Leafs from going out and adding another backup option to battle in training camp, though Sparks would need to clear waivers to be sent to the minor leagues.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report the contract on Twitter.

Frederik Andersen Activated From Injured Reserve

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have gone 2-3 in the five games started by Michael Hutchinson, an emergency fill-in acquired from the Florida Panthers just before the team lost their two NHL goaltenders. Today, both of those goaltenders will be back on the ice as Frederik Andersen has been activated off of injured reserve and Garret Sparks has cleared the concussion protocol. Andersen will start against the Colorado Avalanche with Sparks serving as backup, while Hutchinson has been returned to the AHL for the time being.

Goaltending has been an interesting position for the Maple Leafs, who lost both Calvin Pickard and Curtis McElhinney on waivers just before the season began. That meant at one point Eamon McAdam was just a Sparks injury away from being the team’s starter, a far cry from the deep group they had a year ago. Hutchinson has returned some order to the position with his reliable presence in net the last few games, though the team is obviously thrilled with getting Andersen back.

In fact, the time off may have helped the Danish goaltender immensely. Andersen admitted recently that his groin injury had been affecting his play since December, a month in which he recorded just a .903 save percentage and allowed more than three goals per game. Those are a far cry from his numbers the previous month, where Andersen was playing like a potential Vezina candidate and making the Maple Leafs look like a real contender in the Eastern Conference.

His return comes with just 38 games remaining on the season, meaning he will almost definitely not reach the mark of 66 games he has played in each of the past two years. The team is hoping that rest will keep him fresher for the postseason, given the team’s consecutive first-round exits.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Maple Leafs Could Face Another Goalie Dilemma

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It has been two weeks since the Toronto Maple Leafs acquired Michael Hutchinson from the Florida Panthers to combat the outside chance that both starter Frederik Andersen and backup Garret Sparks could miss significant time. In those two weeks, the only goalie to appear in the Toronto net has been Hutchinson, as that outside chance has turned into reality. Tonight, Hutchinson makes his fifth straight start and again it is unproven emergency recall Kasimir Kaskisuo as his backup. Andersen is still recovering from his groin injury and now has the flu on top of it, while Sparks has returned to practice but has not been cleared to play yet as he fights concussion symptoms. A short-term stopgap solution has turned into a lengthy stretch with Hutchinson as the starting goalie and as a result more problems  could be headed Toronto’s way.

Sportsnet’s John Shannon made note today that when Hutchinson takes the ice tonight against the visiting Boston Bruins, it will be his ninth NHL appearance of the season – he made three starts and a relief appearance for the Panthers. When that number hits ten, which could be as early as Monday if one or both of Andersen and Sparks are not yet ready to return, Hutchinson will require waivers to be sent to the AHL. Waivers has been a thorn in the side of the Maple Leafs all season, as it is what originally cost them both Curtis McElhinney (CAR) and Calvin Pickard (ARI) before the campaign even began and what prevents them from moving Sparks to the minors without risk. Should that happen, more of a when than an if, Toronto will again face a goalie conundrum in which they would either have to carry three goaltenders or potentially lose Hutchinson on waivers. While Hutchinson struggled in Florida to begin the year, he has vastly improved since landing in Toronto, posting a .919 save percentage and 2.53 goals against average. He would likely be an attractive option on the waiver wire for many teams in need of depth in net. By no means is Toronto guaranteed that he would clear.

The injuries to Andersen and Sparks could linger and, even if they didn’t, losing Hutchinson would be a blow to their depth in net. Toronto would yet again need to acquire a goaltender if Hutchinson is lost to waivers. On the other hand, keeping three goalies on the roster through the trade deadline late next month, after which roster limits expand, would also hamstring the team at other positions. There is no easy answer to the potential problem, as the waiver status of the team’s goaltenders continues to plague the Maple Leafs this season. During the all-important stretch run, and even more so the postseason, the team needs to be prepared for all possibilities, including one of their keepers going down yet again. While they had hoped Hutchinson would be that security blanket, that likely won’t occur without taking a major risk or making sacrifices.

Minor Transactions: 01/05/19

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It’s the first weekend of the new year and the NHL is ready to roll out some marquee match-ups. Two cross-conference contests start the action, with matinees from the Flames and Flyers, as well as the Wild and Senators. Later, P.K. Subban and the Predators visit Shea Weber and the Canadiens, the division rival Sabres and Bruins battle it out for the final time this season, and some of the game’s biggest names clash when the Sharks host the Lightning. With nine games on the docket today and another seven tomorrow, teams are sure to be shuffling their rosters. Expect some movement today and keep track right here:

  • Recently-named AHL All-Star Jacob Middleton has been recalled by the San Jose Sharks, CapFriendly reports. The 23-year-old defenseman has shown off his well-rounded game this season with the San Jose Barracuda, with 12 points and a team-leading +15 rating in just 26 games. At 6’3″, 210 lbs., Middleton has NHL size, but over the past year or so has begun to show NHL talent as well. The 2014 seventh-round pick is exceeding expectations for San Jose, becoming yet another capable option on their deep blue line. The only question now is whether he makes his debut on this recall and, if so, how he performs under the pressure. In confirming the recall, the Sharks also announced that Justin Braun has been placed on injured reserve, which may provide Middleton the opportunity to see some action.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced, somewhat unsurprisingly, that Kasimir Kaskisuo is on his way back up today, courtesy of an emergency recall. With starter Frederik Andersen still sidelined with a groin injury and backup Garret Sparks currently in the concussion protocol, the Leafs turned to newly-acquired Michael Hutchinson to start on Thursday and will apparently ask him to do so again tonight against the Vancouver Canucks. There was optimism that Sparks could be ready to at least dress as the backup tonight, but Kaskisuo’s call-up would indicate that won’t be happening. Toronto simply has to hope that Hutchinson can manage the game well enough, as Kaskisuo’s season with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies has been nightmarish (.871 SV% and 3.82 GAA) and he should be nowhere near an NHL net right now, if possible.
  • Another team to frequently swap their goalies around has done so again, as the AHL lists the St. Louis Blues as having recalled Jordan Binnington and reassigned first-year pro Evan Fitzpatrick to the San Antonio Rampage. Fitzpatrick, a 2016 second-round pick, earned his first NHL recall earlier in the week as the organization dealt with the losses of Chad Johnson (waivers) and Ville Husso (injury), but the green 20-year-old did not see any action. Following the acquisition of Jared Coreau, ironically from the same Anaheim Ducks that claimed Johnson, the Blues now have another veteran option in the AHL and apparently feel comfortable bringing Binnington back up. Binnington has enjoyed a strong season in the minors and is St. Louis’ best option behind starter Jake Allen, even if his limited NHL experience does leave a lot to be desired.
  • After clearing waivers, Chicago Blackhawks forward Andreas Martinsen is headed to the AHL, the team announced. Joining him is rookie Dylan Sikura, who has struggled to produce with Chicago so far but is enjoying a fine season with the Rockford Ice Hogs alongside brother Tyler. As for Martinsen, he is no stranger to the minor leagues; the hulking Norwegian played in 64 games with the Ice Hogs last season compared to just nine with the Blackhawks. Martinsen has registered just four points in 24 games in Chicago this season, so the ’Hawks likely won’t be rushing to call him back up.

Snapshots: Brookbank, Zadina, Maple Leafs

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The Chicago Blackhawks have promoted Sheldon Brookbank to an NHL assistant, moving him from the AHL where he had previously been an assistant for Jeremy Colliton. Colliton of course took over head coaching duties of the Blackhawks earlier this season when Joel Quenneville was fired, but had not immediately brought Brookbank with him. Anders Sorensen, who had been serving as a development coach for the Rockford IceHogs, will take over as an assistant for the AHL club.

Many will remember the 38-year old Brookbank from his recent playing career, which ended in 2016-17 with the Cleveland Monsters. The physical defenseman actually ended his NHL career with the Blackhawks, and will return to that bench for the first time since 2013-14. The Blackhawks have obviously decided to move to a younger group of defensemen after moving out Jan Rutta and Brandon Manning recently (not to mention waiving Brandon Davidson), and with Brookbank’s promotion have given them another familiar face to help their development along.

  • Filip Zadina is heading back to the Grand Rapids Griffins now that his World Junior tournament is over, but certainly didn’t get the experience he or the organization were hoping for. The 19-year old forward was supposed to “be the man” for the Czech team, but ended up with just a single assist in his five games. Going without a goal seemed impossible for a player who makes his living with his incredible shot and recorded seven goals in seven games during last year’s tournament at an even younger age. That lack of scoring is something that has plagued him at times in the minor leagues too, and will need to disappear if he’s to become the player the Detroit Red Wings are hoping for.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs will start Michael Hutchinson again on Saturday night after confirming that Garret Sparks did suffer a concussion earlier this week in practice. Frederik Andersen, who is getting closer to returning from a groin injury, admitted to reporters including Luke Fox of Sportsnet that it’s something he’s dealt with for a while this season. The injury apparently didn’t heal as well as the team had hoped over the holiday break, but shouldn’t keep him out much longer.

Toronto Maple Leafs May Search For More Goaltending

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The Toronto Maple Leafs were forced to put newly acquired goaltender Michael Hutchinson right into the spotlight today after Garret Sparks suffered an injury in practice. Frederik Andersen, the regular starter is on the shelf with a groin injury, meaning Kasimir Kaskisuo was on the bench today as the backup. Hutchinson allowed four goals in a loss to the Minnesota Wild, and though he couldn’t be blamed entirely for the loss it is obviously a concern of the team. Head coach Mike Babcock said after the game to reporters including Jonas Siegel of The Athletic that the team is discussing whether or not they’ll go after another goaltender in order to let Kaskisuo return to the minor leagues.

There is an experienced goaltender on waivers today in Mike McKenna, but that doesn’t necessarily give the Maple Leafs a better option than Hutchinson moving forward. If the team isn’t comfortable with him as the starter perhaps they will go after another netminder with more upside. Regardless, it’s an interesting comment given how close Andersen appears after hitting the ice the last few days. Sparks was put into the concussion protocol after taking a puck to the head and it’s not clear how long he’ll be out.

Goaltending depth is a familiar issue for the Maple Leafs, who over the last few years have struggled to find a reliable backup. Curtis McElhinney eventually took on that role after being claimed off waivers from the Columbus Blue Jackets, but was subsequently lost at the start of this season when the Maple Leafs decided to keep Sparks in the NHL. Calvin Pickard, similarly acquired to help add some organizational depth last season, was also lost on waivers and has bounced around the league since.

With Andersen facing so much work since joining the Maple Leafs, the team must surround him with some depth as they prepare for a long playoff run. Lower-body injuries can linger for goaltenders even well after they are ready to get back into game action, and can pop up at the most inopportune times down the line. While Sparks has done enough to keep the backup role for now, two consecutive injuries are showing just how thin the position is in Toronto.

Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Two Goaltenders

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Ever since the Toronto Maple Leafs lost Calvin Pickard and Curtis McElhinney on the same day earlier this season, fans have dreaded a situation where their remaining two NHL netminders both suffered injuries, however minor, at the same time. With Frederik Andersen currently on the shelf, the team had recently gone out and acquired Michael Hutchinson from the Florida Panthers as a precautionary measure. Today that measure was necessary, as the Maple Leafs have recalled both Hutchinson and Kasimir Kaskisuo to serve as their goaltending duo this afternoon. Garret Sparks, who had been carrying the load since Andersen’s injury, is in the concussion protocol after taking a shot to the head at practice.

Hutchison looks like he’ll get the start for the Maple Leafs in a rare afternoon game today against the Minnesota Wild, which would mark his fifth appearance of the season. The other four were for the Panthers, an organization Hutchinson was supposed to serve in this capacity all season. Florida had signed Hutchinson to a one-year, $1.3MM deal to be the third goaltender behind oft-injured Roberto Luongo and James Reimer, but ended up sending him to Toronto for a 2020 fifth-round pick. The 28-year old goaltender comes with plenty of experience in the NHL and a history of success there, though his time in Florida didn’t go well.

Originally selected by the Boston Bruins, Hutchinson would make his debut for the Winnipeg Jets in 2013-14 and ended up playing 102 games for them over parts of five seasons. The big goaltender had his best season in 2014-15 when he went 21-10-5 with a .914 save percentage, but hasn’t been able to replicate those numbers since. Still, he represents a much more experienced option than Kaskisuo, who has just 83 games of professional experience including zero appearances at the NHL level.

Andersen has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to December 23rd meaning he can come off whenever necessary, while both Hutchinson and Kaskisuo have been recalled under emergency conditions.

Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Goaltender Michael Hutchinson

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With Frederik Andersen currently day-to-day with a groin injury, the Toronto Maple Leafs had already been forced to call up Kasimir Kaskisuo – and his .866 AHL save percentage. The team was a Garret Sparks injury away from having the struggling Kaskisuo as their starter in the short term. Depth in net had become a dire need for the organization and today GM Kyle Dubas was quick to address that need. The Maple Leafs have announced that they have acquired goaltender Michael Hutchinson from the Florida Panthers in exchange for a 2020 fifth-round pick.

Hutchinson, 28, is a shrewd pickup for Toronto, especially for a future late-round selection. Hutchinson is not far removed from being a regular fixture in net for the Winnipeg Jets from 2014 to 2017. While Hutchinson lost that job in Winnipeg last season, making only three appearances, he managed to play in 76 games over the three seasons prior. In a total of 106 NHL appearances, including four with Florida this year, Hutchinson has a .907 save percentage and 2.70 GAA. Hutchinson has had his fair share of struggles at both the NHL and AHL level this season and has not been the reliable third-string option to injury-prone Roberto Luongo and James Reimer as the Panthers had hoped when they signed him this past off-season. However, his minor league play has been vastly superior to Kaskisuo’s and his career NHL numbers are quite similar to Sparks’. The Leafs still don’t have a stalwart backup goalie to Andersen, but have cheaply acquired an experienced veteran keeper that is a clear upgrade to their depth in net.

Perhaps the best part about adding Hutchinson is that he has already cleared waivers this season and may be moved back and forth between the Maple Leafs and Marlies at will. Toronto’s goaltending depth issues began just prior to the start of the season, when both Calvin Pickard and Curtis McElhinney were claimed on waivers when the Leafs opted to protect Sparks. Pickard had a rough experience with the Philadelphia Flyers early on, but the Maple Leafs nevertheless tried to reclaim their lost property when the Flyers also placed him on waivers. However, they failed to bring Pickard back in as he was claimed by the Arizona Coyotes. McElhinney, on the other hand, has been the best of the Carolina Hurricanes’ trio of goalies and is unlikely to be up for claim again this season. Hutchinson was likely one of the top two-way keepers available and apparently one of the more affordable.

As for the Panthers, when healthy the duo of Luongo and Reimer have the roster spots in Florida locked up. Hutchinson was never going to overtake either keeper, especially given his performance this season. The team also hoped to get young Sam Montembeault some NHL experience this season and the Springfield Thunderbirds starter now takes over as the organization’s No. 3. It makes sense that the Panthers got what they could for a disappointing signing. However, if injury does strike Luongo again, Reimer’s struggles and Montembeault’s inexperience become of greater concern for Florida, especially if they are fighting for a playoff spot. Expect the Panthers to keep an eye on waivers and the goalie market for the remainder of the season.

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