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Mac Hollowell

Nick Robertson, Mac Hollowell Undergo Surgery

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have announced that Nick Robertson and Mac Hollowell have both undergone surgery. Robertson’s procedure was to his shoulder, and will keep him out for the next six months. Hollowell had a procedure on a fractured kneecap and will be out a minimum of 12 weeks.

It’s a brutal blow for Robertson, who has not been able to stay healthy in his pro career. The undersized forward (and younger brother of Dallas Stars forward Jason Robertson) has now played just 82 total games over the last three seasons. That’s at all levels, with just 31 of them coming with the Maple Leafs.

For a player who scored 55 goals in 46 games during his post-draft year, there were huge expectations for the 2019 second-rounder. He made his NHL debut during the Maple Leafs’ 2020 bubble playoffs, and scored his first goal. But injuries have kept him off the ice since then, and inconsistent playing time has limited him to just seven NHL points.

By the time he’s ready to return next season, he’ll be 22 and quite removed from that exceptional junior season. There’s no telling whether Robertson will ever be able to live up to the potential he showed, given how much time he has missed.

Hollowell, meanwhile, made his NHL debut this season and recorded two assists in six games for the Maple Leafs. The fourth-round pick had progressed steadily through the system and appeared to have climbed considerably up the organizational depth chart.

Now, with a 12-week recovery timeline, it seems likely that he won’t get any more NHL time this season. As a restricted free agent this summer eligible for arbitration, he needs a new deal. After missing so much time, it might end up being prudent for him to accept a qualifying offer and hope to rebound from a tough injury.

Atlantic Notes: Vrana, Fabbri, Hollowell, Smith

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Red Wings winger Jakub Vrana will report to AHL Grand Rapids for a three-game conditioning stint, reports Max Bultman of The Athletic (Twitter link).  Vrana was recently reinstated by the NHL/NHLPA Player Assistance Program and after skating with Detroit for a week, it appears as if he’s ready to get some game action in.  Until he’s ready to return to the NHL lineup, Vrana won’t be part of Detroit’s active roster.

Meanwhile, there could be more help on the horizon for the Red Wings as Ted Kulfan of The Detroit News reports (Twitter link) that winger Robby Fabbri could be ready to return to the lineup on January 4th.  The veteran has missed the entire season so far after undergoing knee surgery back in March.  Fabbri had 17 goals in 56 games in 2021-22 and his possible return coupled with Vrana’s could give Detroit two-thirds of a strong secondary scoring trio as they look to hang around the playoff picture in the Eastern Conference.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they’ve recalled defenseman Mac Hollowell from AHL Toronto on an emergency basis. It’s the fourth emergency recall for the 24-year-old in less than two weeks as the team hedges their bets with some of their injured blueliners.  Toronto had an open roster spot so no other move needed to be made to bring up Hollowell, who has two assists in six NHL games so far this season.
  • As expected, the Bruins have recalled winger Craig Smith from AHL Providence, per the AHL’s transactions log. The 33-year-old cleared waivers earlier this month and the team will likely paper him down to the minors on off days to bank a bit of cap space.  They did so over the weekend, saving a little more than $18K by doing so.  Smith has four points in 19 games for Boston so far this season.

Rasmus Sandin Placed On Injured Reserve

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After suffering a neck injury in the Toronto Maple Leafs last game, Rasmus Sandin has been moved to injured reserve. Head coach Sheldon Keefe explained yesterday that the team would be re-evaluating him after the Christmas break, meaning a stint on IR doesn’t necessarily mean he will be out long-term. Sandin must miss at least seven days but the Maple Leafs don’t play again until December 27 after today’s afternoon match with the Philadelphia Flyers.

In his place, the team has recalled Mac Hollowell from the minor leagues. The 24-year-old Hollowell played six games with the team earlier this season when they were dealing with a number of injuries on defense, and has been excellent in the minor leagues with 10 points in 13 games for the Toronto Marlies.

Unfortunately for Hollowell, the team also recently activated Jordie Benn, who will slide into Sandin’s spot in the lineup today. The club is still without Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin, Victor Mete, and Carl Dahlstrom, but has still shown a strong defensive ability. Toronto sits second in goals against on the year, having allowed just 79 in 33 games.

Part of that success has been the strong play of Sandin, who has regularly gone over 20 minutes of ice time in the absence of Rielly. The 22-year-old was selected 29th overall in 2018 and has played 121 regular season games so far in his career.

Maple Leafs Recall Mac Hollowell On Emergency Basis

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The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they have recalled defenseman Mac Hollowell from Toronto of the AHL on an emergency basis.  They had an open roster spot to work with so no corresponding move needed to be made.

Hollowell got into six games with the big club on his last recall, his first taste of NHL action.  The 24-year-old acquitted himself relatively well, picking up a pair of assists in those contests while averaging just shy of 13 minutes a night of playing time.  While he hasn’t scored with the Marlies so far, he has collected 10 assists in a dozen contests with them, one of which came last night in Rockford.

Timothy Liljegren was injured in Thursday’s game but was a full participant in practice on the second pairing while head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated after practice to Sports Illustrated’s David Alter (Twitter link) that Liljegren isn’t the only blueliner that’s banged up which is what necessitated Hollowell’s recall.  For the time being, Toronto now has eight blueliners on their active roster and all of them were present at the morning skate.

Mac Hollowell Returned To AHL

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With Jordie Benn nearing a return, the Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Mac Hollowell back to the AHL. Given that the team is heading on the road, Benn’s activation seems imminent.

Hollowell, 24, received a chance to make his NHL debut when the Maple Leafs suffered several injuries to their defense and played six games with the team since November 23. In those matches he registered two points, showing off the offensive upside that made him a fourth-round pick even at his small stature. Still, that 5’9″ frame was also tested by the size and strength of NHL players, especially during his short time killing penalties.

While the Maple Leafs might have a useful depth piece, it seems unlikely that Hollowell will become a full-time option for the team at this point. He was essentially replaced in the lineup by Conor Timmins, who has now played in four straight games and had arguably his best game as a professional last night, recording three assists in 18 minutes of ice time.

With Timmins in place, a healthy T.J. Brodie back in the lineup, and Benn close to a return, the Maple Leafs suddenly seem to have plenty of depth at the position again. Morgan Rielly, Victor Mete, and Carl Dahlstrom remain out, but Toronto now ranks second in the league in terms of goals against, allowing just 70 through their first 30 games. Even if Hollowell’s play was relatively encouraging, it will be difficult for him to get many more opportunities if the group continues to get healthy.

Morgan Rielly Placed On Long-Term Injured Reserve

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are without their top three defensemen now, after Morgan Rielly exited last night with a knee injury. Rielly has been quickly moved to long-term injured reserve, with Darren Dreger of TSN tweeting that there are “rumblings” of a grade 1 or 2 MCL injury. That would come with a four to six-week recovery, according to Dreger.

In his place, the team has recalled Victor Mete and Mac Hollowell from the AHL.

At a very minimum, the veteran defenseman will miss 10 games and 24 days with his LTIR placement. Given he is expected back this season, the cap flexibility awarded with this move is temporary. The Maple Leafs could not for instance replace Rielly’s cap hit with an external option, as they’ll need it to activate him again down the road.

With Rielly, Jake Muzzin, and T.J. Brodie out all at the same time – the latter was on the ice before practice today testing out his oblique injury – the Maple Leafs are in a tough spot. The team’s most reliable defender becomes 39-year-old Mark Giordano, with some mix of Justin Holl, Timothy Liljegren, Rasmus Sandin, and Jordie Benn behind him.

Mete obviously has plenty of NHL experience as well, but Hollowell would be making his debut should he get into the lineup.

With that in mind, there will be plenty of speculation surrounding the Maple Leafs in the next few weeks. The team had already been linked to several defensemen around the league, and if Muzzin is out for the rest of the season, as expected, they do have a bit of cap room to work with.

Toronto Maple Leafs Recall Mac Hollowell

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According to the AHL’s Transactions page and the Toronto Maple Leafs roster page, the Maple Leafs have recalled defenseman Mac Hollowell from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. There does not appear to be any corresponding moves made.

Thankfully for Hollowell, both the NHL and AHL club play in the same city, as he’s been bounced around plenty this week, in fact this is his third recall since November 14th. The Maple Leafs, who are sitting very close to the salary cap, even utilizing LTIR, have had to get creative with their roster recently, which seems to include shuffling Hollowell between the NHL and AHL. This recall gives the Maple Leafs a full 23-man roster, including seven defenseman.

Despite the frequent recalls, Hollowell has yet to actually crack the NHL lineup, though if he does, it would be his NHL debut. The shuffling has also yet to do any harm to his gameplay, the defenseman recording nine points, all assists, in 10 AHL games thus far. The 24-year-old was a fourth-round pick of the Maple Leafs back in 2018.

The Maple Leafs will host the Buffalo Sabres tonight at 7:00 pm ET.

Jake Muzzin Out Indefinitely With Cervical Spine Injury

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The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t getting Jake Muzzin back for a while. Toronto announced today that Muzzin is dealing with a cervical spine injury and is out indefinitely. His status will be re-evaluated in late February. Meanwhile, the team has also placed T.J. Brodie on injured reserve with an oblique injury and recalled Mac Hollowell and Pontus Holmberg from the minor leagues.

Muzzin, 33, has suffered several head, neck, and back injuries over the last few years, leading to his early exit from multiple playoff series and a relatively low number of regular season appearances. In 47 games last year he registered just 14 points, the lowest total of his career, and he failed to make it through even four contests this season before suffering this latest injury.

It hasn’t even been limited to his time in the NHL. Muzzin suffered a serious back injury in minor hockey as well, causing him to miss the entire 2005-06 season after being drafted 11th overall by the Soo Greyhounds in the OHL Priority Selection. While he would return from that injury and play a partial season for the Greyhounds in 2006-07, it caused him to fall considerably in NHL drafts, with the Pittsburgh Penguins eventually taking him 141st overall.

A warrior who can play a physical game but also contribute offensively, he would eventually become captain of the Greyhounds and quickly make his way to the NHL, winning a Stanley Cup with the Los Angeles Kings in 2014. By 2015 he was playing with Canada at the World Championship (where he won gold) and then again at the World Cup in 2016 (where he won gold).

Now, with his career seemingly in jeopardy, he sits at 683 regular season games and 294 career points. Muzzin received votes for the Norris Trophy in both 2016 and 2019, finishing 11th in the latter.

Though they would certainly rather a healthy, effective Muzzin in the lineup, his placement on LTIR earlier this season did open up some flexibility for the Maple Leafs. They still have quite a few question marks on the back end (especially with Brodie now out of the lineup) but inserted Jordie Benn over the weekend to add some extra physicality (and apparently, game-winning goals). If Muzzin is going to spend the entire season on the shelf, it would allow them to make an acquisition of some sort.

Toronto Places Kase On LTIR, Recalls Three On Emergency Basis

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After losing three starters in Tuesday night’s game against the rival Boston Bruins, the Toronto Maple Leafs were left with little choice but to tweak their roster. Up against the salary cap and managing a number of injuries, Toronto has opted to move forward Ondrej Kase to the Long-Term Injured Reserve, CapFriendly reports. This raised the Leafs’ LTIR pool just enough to make three emergency recalls while staying under the upper limit of the cap. Promoted to the NHL roster are defensemen Mac Hollowell and Filip Kral and goaltender Michael Hutchinson, who will replace Justin Holl, Ilya Lyubushkin, and Petr Mrazek, each of whom exited last night’s game.

Kase has been out since suffering a head injury earlier this month. As of Friday, the team had still not ruled it a concussion, but given Kase’s extensive history of head injuries it hardly matters. The dynamic, but oft-injured winger will need plenty of time to return to action, allowing the team to move him to LTIR. He joins defensemen Jake Muzzin and Rasmus Sandin on the long-term shelf, bringing the Leafs’ LTIR salary pool to $7.77MM, the amount that they may exceed the salary cap as a means of replacing those players. However, Muzzin and his $5.625MM cap hit are expected to be activated sooner rather than later, which will drastically change the calculus for Toronto.

Meanwhile, Holl, Lyubushkin, and Mrazek join starting goaltender Jack Campbell as the Leafs’ other injured players. Mrazek’s injury history and inconsistency this season make his absence both relatively unsurprising and somewhat inconsequential. However, the major hit to the blue line depth cannot be ignored. While Toronto impressed in a 6-4 win over Boston on Tuesday, they can ill-afford to continue battling this injury bug. They sit just two points ahead of the Bruins and one point behind the Tampa Bay Lightning in the race for Atlantic playoff position and are set to face Tampa and the Florida Panthers next week.

While the veteran Hutchinson is battle-tested and ready for the challenge, he and rookie Erik Kallgren splitting the net for the Leafs is unlikely to be successful for too long. On the back end, Hollowell and Kral have no NHL experience and are an even bigger liability. Toronto is hoping that these emergency recalls are just that and their regulars will be back in action soon.

 

Trade Deadline Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs

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With the All-Star break now behind us, the trade deadline looms large and is now less than a month away.  Where does each team stand and what moves should they be looking to make?  We continue our look around the league with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As has been the case for the past few seasons, the Toronto Maple Leafs are once again under immense pressure to buy at the deadline and finally make the jump out of the first round of the playoffs. The team has already made one move, adding defensive depth to the roster in the form of former Arizona Coyote Ilya Lyubushkin, but with some potential added cap flexibility due to defenseman Jake Muzzin’s injury, general manager Kyle Dubas has the chance to make a bigger splash prior to March 21st.

Record

33-14-4, 3rd in the Atlantic

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$4.47MM today, $4.47MM in full-season space, 1/3 retention slots used, 47/50 contracts used per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2022: TOR 1st, TOR 2nd, TOR 7th*
2023: TOR 1st, TOR 2nd, TOR 3rd, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, TOR 6th

* – if Brennan Menell plays 30 regular-season games for Toronto in 2021-22, the Minnesota Wild receive Toronto’s 2022 seventh-round pick. Menell has yet to make his Leafs debut this season.

Trade Chips

It’s been widely reported that the team is reluctant to move their first-round pick this year or much of their top prospect pool. Taking that into account, it’s likely that any trade package includes a body from their now-extremely deep defensive pool. The most appealing option for trade partners is likely Travis Dermott. The team’s second-round selection in 2015 has been continually pushed down the depth chart by the emergence of Rasmus Sandin, but still has upside at 25 years old. He’s consistently mustered solid defensive results, and increased opportunity could help unlock some more offense. He has just five points in 37 games this year.

There’s also the matter of Justin Holl. He offers some cost certainty for teams, which is appealing — he’s locked into a $2MM cap hit through the end of next season. But he’s been prone to some egregious defensive mistakes this season, causing him to slip further down the lineup and become a healthy scratch at times. He does have experience playing top-four minutes, though, and does have a solid defensive track record throughout his short career. He still likely has some trade value.

Toronto also has a trio of young goalies in their AHL system in Erik Källgren, Joseph Woll, and Ian Scott. While the organization is high on Woll and would prefer to retain him, one of Kallgren or Scott could almost certainly be a part of a trade package. Källgren in particular likely carries some value, as he’s posted a solid .909 SV% in 22 AHL games and was the netminder behind Växjo’s run to the Swedish Hockey League championship in 2021.

Others To Watch For: F Alex Steeves ($834K through 2024), F Pontus Holmberg ($828k through 2023), D Mac Hollowell ($800k this year, $750k through 2023)

Team Needs

1) Wing Depth — Toronto has gotten impressive seasons out of free-agent wild cards Michael Bunting and Ondrej Kase, as well as Alexander Kerfoot and Ilya Mikheyev. But too much depth is never a bad thing, and the Leafs could use an upgrade to slot into the top-six, likely alongside John Tavares on the second line. Kerfoot’s versatility allows him to slide back down to a third-line role with ease, helping create a better matchup game for head coach Sheldon Keefe come playoff time.

2) Potential Muzzin Replacement — The health status of Jake Muzzin for the playoffs remains uncertain, as he’s on long-term injured reserve indefinitely as he recovers from his second concussion in a short timeframe. If Muzzin isn’t ready to go, an experienced left-shot D-man (Mark Giordano?) could make sense, especially as to not put too much pressure on the shoulders of the young Sandin and Liljegren.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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