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Noah Gregor

Toronto Maple Leafs To Sign Noah Gregor

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After a strong preseason performance, winger Noah Gregor has successfully turned his PTO with the Toronto Maple Leafs into a full-time contract with the club.

Maple Leafs GM Brad Treliving informed the media today that Gregor would be signed, and The Nation Network’s Jason Gregor reports that it’ll be a one-year, league-minimum $775k pact.

Alongside the move, the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran reports that 2023 first-round pick Easton Cowan will be loaned back to his OHL team, the London Knights.

Gregor impressed in both training camp and the preseason, skating in five total exhibition games with the Maple Leafs. He scored a goal and added two assists in that span, tying him for the Maple Leafs’ team lead in preseason points according to Natural Stat Trick.

Now 25 years old, Gregor is a versatile forward capable of plying wing or center. He spent the last two seasons with the San Jose Sharks, the team that selected him in the fourth round of the 2016 draft, but was non-tendered this summer.

Gregor scored 10 goals and 17 points last season, skating just under 13 minutes per night with virtually no exposure on special teams. That looks to be the role he’s been signed to play in Toronto.

Treliving did express some optimism that Gregor could earn an expanded role and even work as a penalty-killer. The Athletic’s Jones Siegel reports he’s playing alongside center David Kämpf and veteran enforcer Ryan Reaves, so it appears the fourth line is where Gregor will slot in to start the season.

Players Still On Training Camp Tryouts

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While there have been many players who had been in training camps on tryout deals cut over the past week or so, there are quite a few whose fates have not yet been determined.  Here’s a rundown of players who are still on PTO agreements with their respective teams.

Boston Bruins

F Danton Heinen

Edmonton Oilers

F Adam Erne
F Sam Gagner

Gagner did not play in the preseason as he works his way back from hip surgery.

Florida Panthers

F Brett Ritchie

New York Islanders

F Jackson Cates

Pittsburgh Penguins

D Libor Hajek
D Mark Pysyk
F Austin Wagner

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Austin Watson

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Noah Gregor

Vegas Golden Knights

F Max Comtois

Some of these players will likely receive an NHL contract but cap-strapped teams will wait until it’s absolutely necessary to convert them to a guaranteed deal, either to optimize their LTIR pool or to try to save a day or two worth of cap space.  Meanwhile, other teams could also come calling if a waiver target doesn’t make it to them.  One way or the other, their fates will likely be decided soon.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Noah Gregor To PTO

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced this morning that they’ve signed center Noah Gregor to a PTO for their upcoming training camp. Gregor spent last season with the San Jose Sharks where he posted 10 goals and seven assists in 57 games.

The 25-year-old was slated to be a restricted free agent this summer until the Sharks opted to non-tender him a contract, making him an unrestricted free agent. The former fourth-round pick had put up 26 goals and 25 assists over parts of four seasons with the Sharks. Gregor also played for Canada at the 2022 World Championship posting two goals and an assist in seven games as Canada won a silver medal.

While he has dressed in 178 career NHL games, Gregor has struggled to remain in the NHL, having spent time in almost every season with the Sharks AHL affiliate. Last year was the first time in his pro career that Gregor didn’t dress in any AHL games, as he managed to stick with the big club. When he has played in the AHL, Gregor has been a very proficient offensive contributor with 40 career points in 43 career AHL games.

Gregor will now have an opportunity to make the Maple Leafs out of training camp and could be slated for their fourth line. Barring that, it is very possible that he ends up on a two-way contract that sees him shuttle back and forth between the NHL and AHL.

Free Agent Profile: Noah Gregor

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We’re at the point of free agency where the word bargain starts to come into play a little more.  The top-dollar deals aren’t there now but low-cost depth pieces are still available.  Playoff-bound teams will have their eye on veterans to fill specific roles.  But what about teams that are rebuilding?  Is there much left for them on the open market?

Noah Gregor is the type of player that could catch the eye of some of those teams.  Just 25, the winger has shown some physicality early in his career that would play well in the bottom six with enough offense to potentially make him an intriguing addition for someone.

Gregor is coming off his only full NHL season, one that saw him set a career-high in goals with ten despite missing 25 games.  The year before that, he had 23 points despite clearing waivers and spending seven weeks on an AHL assignment.  San Jose opted to try someone else in that role back in June, declining to tender him a qualifying offer of just under $1MM that would have also given him salary arbitration rights.

The consistency hasn’t always been there but he’s young enough that there is still room for improvement.  If that improvement happens, Gregor could be a quality under-the-radar pickup for someone in the coming weeks.  With two years of club control through restricted free agency, it could be more than a one-year pickup for whoever lands him.

Stats

2022-23: 57 GP, 10-7-17, -9 rating, 32 PIMS, 119 shots, 97 hits, 44.2% CF, 12:58 ATOI
Career: 178 GP, 25-26-51, -51 rating, 71 PIMS, 368 shots, 312 hits, 44.6% CF, 13:00 ATOI

Potential Suitors

From an NHL perspective, the teams that make the most sense for Gregor are ones that are rebuilding or are lacking some depth on the wing.  But if a team is eyeing Gregor as someone to try to sneak through waivers, just about anyone is a viable option.  For the purpose of this exercise, we’ll focus on the potential NHL openings.

In the East, Buffalo has a short-term roster opening with Jack Quinn out for the first few months due to a torn Achilles tendon.  They could fill that spot internally with someone like Lukas Rousek or they could turn to a player like Gregor that might be a better fit style-wise in a lower role on the depth chart.  Montreal moved out two wingers today in their portion of the Erik Karlsson trade and could view Gregor as a possible replacement for one of them to replenish some of that forward depth.  Washington has a short-term opening with Max Pacioretty likely out to start next season and Gregor could be a better fit for them over Joe Snively who wasn’t quite as impactful in his NHL duty last season compared to 2021-22.

Out West, Isac Lundestrom’s Achilles injury has opened up a spot up front with Gregor being a young enough fit to potentially be around beyond a single season.  Nashville’s current depth chart has some forwards that are relatively safe bets to get through waivers so adding Gregor could give them a small boost on the fourth line and bolster their depth.  If Minnesota is able to afford an extra forward (they need to re-sign Calen Addison first), Gregor would fit in a bottom six group that plays with a bit of an edge.

Projected Contract

Gregor is almost certain to be looking at a contract that is going to carry an NHL salary of $775K, the league minimum.  Depending on how long it takes for him to sign, there might even be a relatively pricey two-way portion.  But in terms of what’s still out there, there aren’t many players left with potentially a little more upside while being controllable for a couple more years.  That makes Gregor one of the more intriguing under-the-radar options left on the open market.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

West Notes: Miller, Athanasiou, Gregor

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While there has been some speculation that the Canucks might move forward J.T. Miller before today’s deadline, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli suggests that’s unlikely to happen.  A lot of teams would be needing some sort of salary retention to facilitate a move now but doing so would also require them to retain a similar percentage on his seven-year, $56MM extension that kicks in next season.  That’s something Vancouver won’t want to do so there’s a good chance that the 29-year-old will be staying put today, even though he’s having a productive season with 20 goals and 34 assists in 60 games.  It’s also worth noting that he’s listed as out week-to-week with a lower-body injury.

More from the Western Conference:

  • When Andreas Athanasiou was signed to a one-year, $3MM deal by the Blackhawks in free agency, it seemed likely that he’d be getting moved by the trade deadline. However, David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period indicates (Twitter link) that at the moment, the sense is that the winger will be sticking around.  Athanasiou has 14 goals and eight assists in 60 games this season and it would likely take salary retention to get a deal done.  Chicago does have one retained salary slot remaining.
  • Sharks winger Noah Gregor told San Jose Hockey Now’s Sheng Peng that he has not requested a trade, denying a report from earlier this week. The 24-year-old has been a frequent scratch this season in San Jose, suiting up in 37 games where he has just four goals and two assists.  Last season, Gregor had 23 points in 63 contests which earned him a one-year, $950K deal for 2022-23.  He’s set to be a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility this summer.

Pacific Notes: Klingberg, Gregor, Skinner

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The Ducks are believed to be seeking a first-round pick for defenseman John Klingberg, reports Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription link).  The 30-year-old didn’t get the long-term contract he was hoping for in the summer so he instead opted for a one-year, $7MM pillow deal with Anaheim to try to rebuild his value.  However, it has been a tough season thus far for the veteran as he has just 13 points in 35 games so far with his new squad, by far the lowest point-per-game average of his career.  Klingberg’s deal moved from a full no-trade clause to a ten-team clause at the start of this month although with a high price tag on the cap and a high acquisition cost, that trade protection isn’t likely to be the hold-up in any potential move unless Klingberg is able to become more of the offensive threat that he was over eight years in Dallas.

More from the Pacific:

  • Sharks winger Noah Gregor will be a healthy scratch for the eighth straight game tonight and he voiced some frustration to Curtis Pashelka of The Mercury News, feeling that there should be more communication coming from the coaching staff as to what they’re expecting from him. It has been a tough year for the 24-year-old; after putting up 23 points in 63 games last season, he has just two goals in 19 contests in 2022-23 while seeing his ice time drop by nearly three minutes per night.  The team has added several depth players up front dating back to the summer and that has created much more of a competition for playing time.  Gregor is eligible for a conditioning stint but noted that he hasn’t discussed that option with the team right now, stating that his focus is simply on getting back into the NHL lineup.
  • Stuart Skinner’s personal leave is likely to be extended a little longer than expected as Sportsnet’s Mark Spector relays (Twitter link) that his wife has not yet given birth. Accordingly, it’s looking less likely that he’ll be able to rejoin the Oilers for tomorrow’s game in Vegas.  Jack Campbell could start both ends of the back-to-back or AHL recall Calvin Pickard could see his first NHL action of the season.

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