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Petr Mrazek

Petr Mrazek Placed On Injured Reserve

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The Toronto Maple Leafs hoped to take a cautious approach to the health of their goaltenders this season, signing Petr Mrazek to help insulate Jack Campbell so that neither one was overworked. Instead, it appears as though Campbell will need to carry the load for the next while. Mrazek has been placed on injured reserve retroactive to November 4 and is expected to miss approximately four weeks.

Mrazek, 29, suffered a groin injury in his first appearance of the season, stretching to stop a shot at the end of the second period. He didn’t finish that game, and was out for more than two weeks, forcing the Maple Leafs to go with Michael Hutchinson once again as the backup. Mrazek returned on October 30 and recorded his first win for Toronto, only to reaggravate the injury over the last week. It will now likely be December before he appears in his third game of the season, certainly not the situation the team was hoping for when they signed him to a three-year deal this summer.

In fact, for a team like Toronto that is constantly dancing around the salary cap ceiling, Mrazek’s $3.8MM hit was a substantial investment. While Campbell has performed incredibly well in his time as a Maple Leaf, he too has a long injury history and has never played more than 31 games in a single season. The 29-year-old is already up to ten this year, with many more to come while Mrazek recovers.

Instead of Hutchinson this time, the Maple Leafs recalled prospect, Joseph Woll, to serve as the team’s backup last night. Woll had been dealing with an injury of his own last time they needed a netminder, but it’s unclear if he’ll actually make his NHL debut or just sit on the bench while Campbell plays every game. The Maple Leafs do have a back-to-back situation coming up next week, playing the Calgary Flames on Friday and then traveling to Buffalo for Saturday night.

Maple Leafs Notes: Campbell, Dermott, Mrazek

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With Morgan Rielly locked up, the most important pending free agent for the Toronto Maple Leafs is Jack Campbell. The 29-year-old is currently in the second season of a two-year deal signed with the Los Angeles Kings in 2019 and carries a $1.65MM cap hit. Given his performance since arriving in Toronto–a .922 save percentage in 36 regular season appearances–he’s likely in line for a substantial raise.

Nick Kypreos of Sportsnet reported yesterday that extension talks have begun between Campbell and the Maple Leafs, hours before he posted his fifth career shutout in a 4-0 dismantling of the Vegas Golden Knights (or at least some of them). Campbell was asked after the game whether this report was accurate, and said he didn’t even know. The netminder did express a desire to stay in Toronto, however, explaining how much he loves playing for the Maple Leafs.

  • On The Jeff Marek Show today, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet suggested that the Maple Leafs have let teams around the league know that one of their defensemen is available and speculated that it could be Travis Dermott. Dermott suffered an injury last night blocking a shot and though it was determined he didn’t break any bones, the young defenseman was missing from practice today. Once again, the Maple Leafs coaching staff has shown that they don’t trust Dermott to play big minutes, as he’s averaged just 14 through the first nine games of the season. The 24-year-old signed a two-year deal in July that carries an average annual value of $1.5MM.
  • Petr Mrazek is still not full healthy according to head coach Sheldon Keefe, but is good enough to serve as a backup for Campbell tomorrow night. The biggest question about Toronto’s goaltending heading into the year was would they be able to stay healthy, and Mrazek gave the team a scare when he failed to even make it through his first start without suffering a groin injury. The team has very little depth behind their oft-injured tandem–Michael Hutchinson is the team’s third option–so keeping both healthy this season is a top priority.

Atlantic Notes: Bertuzzi, Pinto, Mrazek, Bruins

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The Red Wings are declining to disclose whether or not they have suspended winger Tyler Bertuzzi for tonight’s game in Montreal, reports Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press (Twitter link).  Bertuzzi was unable to accompany the team on their trip as he’s unvaccinated which gives Detroit the option to suspend him without pay.  That’s not a mandatory requirement, however, and as they’re well below the salary cap, the potential for savings on that front wouldn’t make much of a difference.  Head coach Jeff Blashill indicated that they prefer to “keep it internally” when it comes to their decision on the 26-year-old who has five goals in four games so far this season.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • The Senators will know more about the extent of Shane Pinto’s injury this weekend, relays Postmedia’s Ken Warren. The team is hopeful that the rookie center won’t be out for long after sustaining what appeared to be a shoulder injury on Thursday versus San Jose.  Pinto made an immediate impact after turning pro late last season with seven points in twelve games and has an assist in four contests this season.
  • Maple Leafs goaltender Petr Mrazek is progressing as anticipated in his recovery from a groin injury, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Postmedia’s Terry Koshan. The netminder will accompany Toronto on their upcoming three-game road trip although he may not be able to get back in the lineup next week.
  • The Bruins will be without both Anton Blidh and Nick Foligno for their game tomorrow against Buffalo, the team announced (Twitter link). Foligno left Wednesday’s game with an upper-body injury while Blidh was injured Friday in his first appearance of the season.  Head coach Bruce Cassidy stated the expectation is that Jack Studnicka will be recalled from AHL Providence.

Kevin Connauton, Joseph Woll Activated From Injured Reserve

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A pair of preseason injuries are no longer limiting two players that are looking to push for more NHL opportunity this season. PuckPedia reports that the Florida Panthers have activated veteran defenseman Kevin Connauton from the Season-Opening Injured Reserve and CapFriendly reports that the Toronto Maple Leafs have done the same with young goaltender Joseph Woll.

Connauton, 33, is just two years removed from being a starter for the Arizona Coyotes and the year before that set a career high with 21 points and 73 games. Yet, the past two years he has been used sparingly, to say the least. Connauton played in only four games with the Colorado Avalanche in 2019-20 and last season suited up for just seven games with the Panthers. Despite his limited NHL time of late, Florida still re-signed the experienced blue liner this summer and at least seem willing to give him a shot at a permanent job by not only activating him to the NHL roster, but making room by demoting priority NCAA free agent addition Matt Kiersted. The Cats are still only carrying seven defensemen with Markus Nutivaara currently on injured reserve, but Connauton may still have to prove he is worthy of a roster spot before Nutivaara returns. With solid depth on the blue line, recently supplemented by the acquisition of Olli Juolevi, Florida needs a reason to keep Connauton on the NHL roster and his seven games last season may not be enough. Getting healthy and back in action as quickly as he did certainly helps his case though.

Woll, 23, may ironically have a better shot at NHL opportunity this season despite having no experience in the league. The 2016 third-round pick, who was a standout at Boston College, has been with the AHL Marlies for the past two seasons and while his numbers aren’t eye-popping, his play continues to draw praise. The Toronto net is far from set and just while Woll was recovering from injury himself, the Leafs lost off-season addition Petr Mrazek to injury. Mrazek signed a three-year deal this summer, but has a history of injury issues. Current starter Jack Campbell and backup Michael Hutchinson are on expiring contracts and will be on the wrong side of 30 as they look for their next deal. Between planning for the future and managing the present, the Maple Leafs have some incentive to give Woll a look – potentially a long look – this season. Now healthy, the young keeper can settle in down in the AHL and hopefully look forward to his NHL debut sooner rather than later.

Atlantic Notes: Weber, Murray, Tkachuk, Mrazek

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The NHL has permitted the Canadiens to place defenseman Shea Weber on LTIR, reports Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic in the latest Insider Trading segment.  Shortly following the playoffs, Montreal announced Weber would not play at all this season and may not play again but there were reports that the league wanted to take a closer look at his case since he was able to play for the entirety of the playoffs.  To that end, Deputy Commissioner Bill Daly told LeBrun that “We are not currently challenging that Shea Weber satisfied the CBA requirements necessary to qualify for LTI”, allowing for the possibility for them to re-evaluate the situation later on.  Montreal will need to make use of Weber’s LTIR assuming goaltender Carey Price returns at some point this season.

More from the Atlantic Division:

  • Senators winger Brady Tkachuk has been ruled out of Saturday’s contest against Toronto, relays Postmedia’s Ken Warren. However, he’s expected to make his season debut either Sunday against Dallas or Thursday against San Jose.  Tkachuk signed his seven-year deal yesterday and will need some time to get up to speed before suiting up.
  • Still with Ottawa, the team announced (Twitter link) that they’ve moved goaltender Matt Murray to injured reserve retroactive to October 12th. He has been dealing with a non-COVID-related illness that caused him to miss the opener and now it will keep him out through the weekend at the very least.  The retroactive placement makes him eligible to be activated for Thursday’s contest.
  • Given the fact that groin injuries can be longer-term than expected, Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star suggested in a recent appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link) that it’s unlikely that Maple Leafs goaltender Petr Mrazek will return in the near future. He left Thursday’s game against Ottawa due to the injury.  It sounds likely that a stint on IR is forthcoming which means they will need to call a goalie up from the minors, likely veteran Michael Hutchinson.

Maple Leafs Expected To Sign Petr Mrazek

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With Frederik Andersen appearing to be headed to Carolina, it created an opening between the pipes for the Maple Leafs.  It appears that vacancy will be filled by the goalie that Andersen is replacing with the Hurricanes as ESPN’s Kevin Weekes reports (Twitter link) that Petr Mrazek is expected to sign a three-year deal with Toronto.  TSN’s Darren Dreger adds (Twitter link) the deal will carry a $3.8MM AAV.

Mrazek, 29, has been a strong performer for the Hurricanes over the last three seasons, but certainly isn’t the model of consistency. His career is one of alternating good and bad years, and after posting a .923 in just 12 games, it’s not really clear what he’s bringing to Toronto. There’s no doubt he has the talent to play at a high level in the NHL, but his .910 career save percentage should be a bit concerning for a team that intends to contend in 2021-22.

That inconsistency is perhaps exactly why the Hurricanes are moving on from the netminder, but at least in Toronto he’ll have a capable partner to rely on. The Maple Leafs already have Jack Campbell in place for just $1.65MM, meaning they’ll be spending a combined 5.45MM on goaltending this season. That’s actually less than they have the last several seasons with Andersen and whoever was backing him up at the time and should figure to be a more reliable tandem than anything they had during that period.

Of course, that would be contingent on Campbell and Mrazek staying healthy, not something either has done recently. It’s been several years since Mrazek started more than 40 games in a season and Campbell has never even been a full-time starter, meaning if something goes wrong, the goaltending position could quickly become an issue once again for the Maple Leafs.

Metropolitan Notes: Zibanejad, Mrazek, Samsonov, Carlson

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The Rangers have started preliminary discussions on an extension with center Mika Zibanejad, reports Larry Brooks of the New York Post.  2020-21 was a down season for the 28-year-old as he was slowed early on by a bout with COVID-19 although he managed to still post 24 goals and 26 assists in 50 games.  Brooks notes that the expectation is that Zibanejad’s camp will be seeking a new deal in the $10MM per year range, an AAV that only six centers around the league have hit.  Zibanejad has one more year left on his existing contract with a $5.35MM cap hit and will need to have a year similar to 2019-20 when he had 41 goals and 34 assists in 57 games if he wants a shot at becoming the seventh center to have a double-digit AAV.

More from the Metropolitan:

  • Hurricanes goaltender Petr Mrazek is expected to test the free agent market on Wednesday over signing a new deal with Carolina before then, relays Pierre LeBrun in his latest column for The Athletic (subscription link). He entered 2020-21 as their expected starter but injuries limited him to just a dozen starts.  With Alex Nedeljkovic being moved to Detroit, the Hurricanes now have three pending UFAs between the pipes although GM Don Waddell expressed optimism that they can get one of them signed.  At this point, it doesn’t seem as if Mrazek will be the one to put pen to paper on a new deal.
  • Capitals goaltender Ilya Samsonov is expected to sign a short-term bridge contract, GM Brian MacLellan told Samantha Pell of the Washington Post. The 24-year-old has shown some promising flashes but was inconsistent this past season, notching just a .902 SV% in 19 appearances.  Now locked in as their starter going forward, a strong couple of years on a short-term agreement could have Samsonov well-positioned for a much bigger contract in his next time through restricted free agency when he’ll have salary arbitration rights.
  • Also from Pell’s column, Capitals defenseman John Carlson has undergone minor knee surgery but is expected to be fully recovered for the start of training camp. The veteran played through the issue in the playoffs but still logged nearly 26 minutes a game in their opening-round loss to Boston.

Carolina Hurricanes Negotiating With Petr Mrazek, Jonathan Bernier

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The Carolina Hurricanes traded away Alex Nedeljkovic yesterday, meaning they had no NHL goaltenders left under contract for the upcoming season. They do however have the exclusive negotiating rights to three veteran netminders and it looks like two of them could be in Carolina next season. Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that the Hurricanes are in talks with Jonathan Bernier and Petr Mrazek, hoping to sign both.

Bernier, 32, was part of the return from Detroit yesterday and could very well represent an upgrade over the inexperienced Nedeljkovic. A veteran of nearly 400 regular season games, he posted a .914 save percentage in 24 appearances with Detroit last season, keeping his goals against average below 3.00 even behind one of the worst teams in the league. While those numbers certainly don’t hold up to the performance that Nedeljkovic put up in his short stint as the Carolina starter, Bernier has been rather consistent throughout his long career, never posting a save percentage under .904 in a full season.

Mrazek, on the other hand, has been a little less consistent over his 277-game career, though was excellent when healthy this year. In 12 appearances with the Hurricanes during the regular season, he posted an outstanding .923 save percentage and three shutouts.

The team did decide to go with Nedeljkovic over Mrazek in the playoffs though, which means bringing him back will not help the questions Carolina fans have been screaming since the trade was announced. At the very least, this will be a tandem with plenty of NHL experience, even if it does seem a bit underwhelming.

James Reimer, meanwhile, the other free agent goaltender in Carolina, is expected to go to market according to LeBrun. The 33-year-old had a .906 in 22 games with the Hurricanes this year, and has been a consistent performer–albeit usually in a tandem role–throughout his career.

Tom Dundon Becomes Sole Owner Of Carolina Hurricanes

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The NHL’s Board of Governors has unanimously approved Tom Dundon as sole owner of the Carolina Hurricanes after he purchased all remaining minority shares. That includes those owned by the previous majority shareholder Peter Karmanos, and as the press release indicates, makes this the first time that Karmanos has not owned a piece of the franchise since 1994.

Quite simply, Dundon reiterated his desire to see the Stanley Cup return to Raleigh:

We are fortunate to have a passionate fan base that supports what we believe is a team that can compete every year for the Stanley Cup. That is the only option.

Dundon purchased a majority of the team in 2018 and restructured both the business and hockey operations departments. In the time since, the team has reached the playoffs three times, even making it as far as the Eastern Conference Final in 2018-19. The group of players currently on the roster has made an impactful connection with a rejuvenated fan base, while franchise icon Rod Brind’Amour quickly became one of the most beloved head coaches in team history.

Once again, Dundon will be asked to make a financial commitment to the team this summer as they currently have just 12 players under contract for next season. Young star Andrei Svechnikov is a restricted free agent for the first time, while veteran leaders like Jordan Martinook, Dougie Hamilton, and Petr Mrazek are all unrestricted free agents. Though it is unlikely all of those names will be returning, the Hurricanes are in a strong position to take advantage of the free agent market and add some support to their strong foundational pieces.

Free Agent Focus: Carolina Hurricanes

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Free agency is now just a little more than a month away and many teams are already looking ahead to when it opens up.  There will be several prominent players set to hit the open market in late July while many teams have key restricted free agents to re-sign as well.  Coming off a disappointing playoff exit, the Carolina Hurricanes have an extremely eventful summer ahead of them.

Key Restricted Free Agents

F Andrei Svechnikov – Despite taking a small step back this season offensively, Svechnikov was a large part of arguably the most successful regular season in Hurricanes history. While seeing the highest ice time of his career, Svechnikov dipped below the 20-goal mark for the first time in his career and was moved up and down the lineup under coach Rod Brind’Amour. It’s not all bad for the young Russian winger, though, as he still managed a respectable 42 points in 55 contests. It was largely a better effort defensively this season for Svechnikov as well, still boosting his value as he earned those extra minutes. With proven 20-goal ability and 30- and even 40-goal potential, Svechnikov likely sees a huge raise on his entry-level contract in the neighborhood of $6MM. It’s interesting to note that Svechnikov is not eligible for arbitration, meaning that negotiations will have to be resolved purely between the team and his agent.

F Warren Foegele – It was another solid season for the 25-year-old forward, who’s settling nicely into a third-line scoring role with Carolina. After being drafted 67th overall in 2014, Foegele crossed the 200-game threshold with his final game of the 2020-21 season. Even through shortened seasons, Foegele’s now scored between 10 and 15 goals in three straight campaigns with his ice time creeping up year by year. He’s trusted in both zones by the coaching staff, and a longer-term, lower-dollar deal could end up benefitting both sides down the road.

G Alex Nedeljkovic – One of the two Calder Trophy finalists who’s up for a new deal next season, Nedeljkovic was a pleasant surprise this season that helped stabilize the Carolina crease. Nedeljkovic sported a sparkling .932 save percentage to lead the league in that category, paired with a 15-5-3 record. Nedeljkovic continued his strong play into the playoffs, as his .920 mark was more than enough to keep the team competitive. He’ll indisputably be given the inside track on the starters’ job next season in Carolina, and will likely earn a short-term, Jordan Binnington-esque contract this offseason.

Other RFAs: F Yegor Korshkov, F Morgan Geekie, F Spencer Smallman, D Jake Bean, D Maxime Lajoie, G Jeremy Helvig

Key Unrestricted Free Agents

D Dougie Hamilton – While he didn’t have the ideal contract year, Hamilton will be a huge commodity this offseason. A respectable offensive force on the blueline, Hamilton finished 2020-21 with his seventh straight 10-goal campaign. His ability in transition is huge in ensuring that his team is the one with the puck on their sticks, and his 6′ 6″ frame isn’t exactly something to mess with. With a 62-point pace this season over 82 games, he continues to be one of the highest-scoring defenders in the league. The demand for UFA defensemen this season is high, and rumors of a sign-and-trade have swirled surrounding Hamilton. While it’s seeming unlikely he’ll return to Raleigh, there’s always a chance.

G Petr Mrazek – Injuries largely forced Mrazek into a backup role this season. However, it didn’t impact his play when he was in the net – he had arguably one of the best seasons of his career. His .923 save percentage was his highest as a Hurricane, and while his 12-game sample size is certainly a prohibiting factor, it only reinforces Mrazek’s reputation as one of the best tandem netminders in the league. With Nedeljkovic assuming the starting role, it’s unlikely Mrazek will be content to return as a backup. Another team can promise more games and more dollars, which will likely be deserved for the 29-year-old Czech native.

F Brock McGinn – The proposition of McGinn returning to the Canes is, at this point, anybody’s guess. While he showed flashes of strong potential with a 30-point season in 2017-18, McGinn, now 27, has cooled off since then. He’s still been a solid depth contributor, and he even saw some ice time with Sebastian Aho on the first line this season. But with the strength of Carolina’s prospect pool, it may not make much sense to re-sign an aging, declining depth winger. With nearly 350 games of NHL experience, he’ll find a home next season, whether it’s in Carolina or not.

Other UFAs: F Cedric Paquette, F Jordan Martinook, F Max McCormick, F Sheldon Rempal, F David Gust, D Jani Hakanpaa, D Roland McKeown, G James Reimer, G Antoine Bibeau

Projected Cap Space

The Hurricanes have been smart in building a contender, signing players to affordable longer-team deals. It puts Carolina in a position to add big this offseason with nearly $30MM in cap space. They can’t be too playful with their cash, however. After all, they have both goalie spots to fill in addition to big contracts due on both offense and defense. With Nino Niederreiter, Vincent Trocheck, and Martin Necas all in need of extensions after 2021-22, this offseason could be crucial in maintaining long-term success in Carolina.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.  Contract information courtesy of CapFriendly.

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