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Kyle Dubas

Maple Leafs Will Not Make Management, Coaching Changes

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Any team that faces a first-round exit will draw questions about the future of its management and coaching staff, especially so when it is the same result year after year. The Toronto Maple Leafs haven’t moved past the first round since 2004, meaning those questions are getting louder and louder. Today, Maple Leafs president Brendan Shanahan made it very clear during his end-of-year availability that the jobs of both general manager Kyle Dubas and head coach Sheldon Keefe are not in jeopardy for next season.

Both will be back and have already started exit interviews with the Maple Leafs roster that failed to get past the Tampa Bay Lightning in round one. Shanahan specifically noted that they will “not be making changes just for the sake of making changes” and gave a full vote of confidence to Dubas and Keefe as important parts of the organization.

Since taking over behind the bench in 2019, Keefe has had one of the most successful starts to his NHL coaching career in history–at least in terms of regular season success. Through 185 games behind the bench, he has gone 116-50-19, a .678 winning percentage that is actually better than the likes of Scotty Bowman, Jon Cooper, and Joel Quenneville. Obviously, that kind of success doesn’t mean much if the playoff results don’t follow but it certainly would be difficult to move off the young coach so quickly.

For Dubas, the results are similar in the regular season, though there has also been criticism over the way some of his contract negotiations have gone–specifically with the young restricted free agents that were handed huge long-term contracts. As those players get closer to unrestricted free agency–Auston Matthews will be a free agent after the 2023-24 season–the pressure to win will be even more apparent on Dubas and his management staff.

Toronto Maple Leafs To Meet With Matthew Knies

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The Toronto Maple Leafs already signed Nick Abruzzese out of the college ranks and quickly inserted him into the lineup, where he has played three games so far. The Harvard alum is still waiting for his first NHL point, but looks like a key part of the depth chart as they head toward the playoffs. Another name that could potentially have an impact down the stretch is Matthew Knies, the standout freshman from Minnesota who is one of the biggest risers from the 2021 draft.

Darren Dreger of TSN reports that Knies is expected to meet with Toronto general manager Kyle Dubas tomorrow to discuss his future, though several reports have indicated to this point (including Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet) that he is leaning toward a return to school for another season. Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe was asked about the young forward today, and explained his excitement to reporters including David Alter of The Leafs Nation:

He’s obviously a player we’re excited about. He’s had a monster season in college hockey, not just college hockey but World Juniors, Olympics. He’s really made his mark. We’re very excited about him and having him in the organization. Obviously, we’re going through a process right now and sorting through what’s going to be the net step for him. Our focus remains what’s happening here. When the time is right for him, of course we’ll welcome him. This season, down the line, whenever that may be. They’re going to go through that process. 

Knies, 19, fell to the Maple Leafs at No. 57 in last year’s draft after an uninspiring 2020-21 season with the Tri-City Storm of the USHL. His size and skill were an intriguing package though, and he showed exactly why when he hit the college circuit. In 33 games as a freshman with the Golden Gophers, Knies scored 15 goals and 33 points, becoming arguably the team’s most dangerous player by the end of the season. He also was given a chance to play at the Olympics for Team USA, where he recorded a goal and an assist in four games.

The question of course is whether another year of development at Minnesota would be beneficial, especially since the team is still loaded with talent. Brock Faber decided to return, instead of signing with the Los Angeles Kings, and others like Ryan Johnson and Jackson Lacombe have yet to make their decisions. It’s not even clear how much opportunity would be waiting in Toronto right away, given how deep their forward group already is.

Notably, the Maple Leafs did leave room in terms of contract slots for this very situation. Knies could take one of those slots, burn the first year of his entry-level contract and reach restricted free agency a year early. Whether that would be the best for his career in general still remains to be seen.

Snapshots: Knight, Maple Leafs, Canadiens

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One of the most interesting notes in Frank Seravalli’s latest for Daily Faceoff is a report that the Arizona Coyotes brought up Spencer Knight from the Florida Panthers in negotiation for Jakob Chychrun earlier this season. The Panthers have turned down anything regard Knight, according to Seravalli, as the top prospect continues to play in the minor leagues.

It’s natural to wonder about Knight’s future in Florida, given the presence of Sergei Bobrovsky and his contract that extends through 2025-26, but the 20-year-old netminder is still an incredibly valuable asset that’s just getting his feet wet in professional hockey. Through 18 games with the Panthers this season he has a .898 save percentage but his time will come before long.

  • Toronto Maple Leafs general manager Kyle Dubas met with media today in Hamilton, at the site of the upcoming Heritage Classic game against Buffalo and cleared up some of the trade speculation around his team. The executive is not considering a goaltender addition at this point despite Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek’s recent struggles, and his focus is still on a defenseman, not a forward. With Jake Muzzin still hopefully coming back before the end of the season, Dubas explained that the team isn’t likley to make multiple moves at the deadline.
  • The Montreal Canadiens have made another addition, hiring Adam Nicholas as director of hockey development. The founder of Stride Envy, a skill and skating development company, he has a resume that includes time with the Maple Leafs, the Chicago Steel of the USHL and UMass-Lowell.

Rodion Amirov Diagnosed With Brain Tumor

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The Toronto Maple Leafs released a shocking and heartbreaking message to fans today. Rodion Amirov, the team’s first-round draft pick from 2020, has been diagnosed with a brain tumor. The young forward is receiving medical attention at a facility in Germany after extensive testing the last few months led to this discovery. General manager Kyle Dubas explained:

Rodion commenced the 2021-22 season with Salavat Ufa of the KHL but suffered an injury to open the season. During the course of his recovery from this injury, he developed some new, unrelated symptoms that required ongoing extensive investigations over the last few months.

Rodion is currently undergoing treatment at a medical facility in Germany and will not return to play for the remainder of the season.

Our medical staff has been involved throughout the process alongside Ufa’s and we are in direct contact with the facility on an ongoing basis to monitor his treatment and care. Rodion has the complete support of the Toronto Maple Leafs organization and we will continue to ensure he receives the best care possible throughout this process.

Out of respect for Rodion and his family, the Club will not have any further comment at this time.

Amirov, 20, has played just ten games this season with Ufa Salavat Yulayev, his KHL team. Speaking with Sportsnet, Amirov explained that he wants to “stay positive” and for people to “think positively” about him.

The young forward will not play again this season as he continues treatment, though his agent released a statement that includes some encouraging news. Amirov is still skating three times a week and working out every day. He is in “good spirits” and is “determined to return back to professional hockey.”

Maple Leafs Notes: Deadline Plan, Cap Room, Trade Preference, AHL Conversions

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Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas met with reporters today (video link) and indicated that with their limited salary cap space, he wants to wait as long as possible before trying to make a move to bolster his team before the trade deadline.  Toronto, like several contenders, will probably only have enough cap room to make one addition of note and with them not being in LTIR (unlike several contenders), there’s a direct benefit to waiting until closer to deadline day on March 21st when they will have been able to bank more room and there will be less money to take on.

More from Dubas regarding the Maple Leafs:

  • To help create some of that cap space, veterans Nick Ritchie and Kyle Clifford will report to AHL Toronto now with the taxi squads gone. While they can clear Clifford’s $1MM price tag entirely, they won’t be able to clear all of Ritchie’s $2.5MM AAV and will carry a pro-rated $1.375MM charge while he’s with the Marlies.  It’s also likely that they’ll try to go with a minimum-sized roster or close to it when they can; both Timothy Liljegren and Rasmus Sandin can be moved back and forth without requiring waivers.
  • Dubas also reiterated his desire to trade for someone signed beyond this season although fitting that player in next year may be tricky with Morgan Rielly’s extension kicking in and the Upper Limit expected to only be slightly above the $81.5MM mark that it’s currently at. Toronto has over $74MM in commitments for next season to just 14 players, per CapFriendly, with starting goalie Jack Campbell eligible for unrestricted free agency this summer.
  • Dubas was non-committal about whether or not he’d convert Josh Ho-Sang to an NHL deal following the Olympics. There were reports that such a move was being considered but it was put on hold once it was clear that Ho-Sang would be suiting up for Canada in that event.  Dubas referenced former NHL forwards Antti Suomela and Joseph Blandisi plus winger Curtis Douglas as others they’re monitoring to see whether or not they’re worth converting to NHL contracts.

Atlantic Notes: Toronto’s Core, Ryfors, Denisenko

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While the Maple Leafs opted to keep their core intact this summer, GM Kyle Dubas acknowledged on a recent edition of the Bob McCown Podcast (audio link) that he did give some consideration to shaking things up but that none of the moves would have made them tangibly better, only different.  Instead, he opted to change up some of the depth players instead while bringing in a handful of wingers to battle for Zach Hyman’s spot in the top six while believing that Toronto will be able to get over the playoff hump following another early elimination last season.  There will be more decisions to be made next summer when it comes to their core with defenseman Morgan Rielly and goalie Jack Campbell slated to become unrestricted free agents and not a lot of cap flexibility to work with at that time.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic:

  • Still with the Maple Leafs, Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun suggests that Toronto may look to bring someone in on a PTO in the coming days. With most of their roster spots spoken for and a need to carry a group that’s below the maximum roster size, there don’t appear to be a lot of spots for someone on a PTO to fill but more depth for training camp battles rarely is a bad thing.  The Leafs already have one tryout deal on the books in winger Joshua Ho-Sang but that is most likely for a spot with their AHL squad.
  • Tampa Bay’s signing of Simon Ryfors back in May largely went under the radar but Joe Smith of The Athletic notes (subscription link) that a total of five teams offered the undrafted forward an entry-level contract for 2021-22. The 24-year-old ultimately chose to sign with the Lightning and with the departures they had up front this summer, Ryfors could have a chance to break camp with the big club or be one of the first recalls from AHL Syracuse.  He had 25 goals and 20 assists in 51 games last season with Rogle of the SHL.
  • George Richards of Florida Hockey Now pegs winger Grigori Denisenko as a likely candidate from development camp to make a push for a full-time role with the Panthers this season. The 21-year-old, a 2018 first-rounder, got into seven games with Florida in 2020-21 but wouldn’t be a good fit in a depth role as he’s waiver-exempt and more of an offensive-minded player.  But if he can show that he’s ready for a spot on the top three lines, he’d likely leapfrog many of the depth additions that Florida brought in this summer.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Rodion Amirov

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed one of their top prospects, inking Rodion Amirov to a three-year entry-level contract. Notably, the deal will not start until the 2021-22 season, meaning Amirov is not eligible to play for the Maple Leafs right away. In the release, the team indicates that he will be joining the Toronto Marlies and the organization’s development system as soon as his visa and quarantine is sorted out. GM Kyle Dubas released a short statement on the young forward:

Our Club is pleased to have Rodion formally signed today. We look forward to welcoming Rodion to Canada in the coming weeks and having him begin working with our player development staff in Toronto. We also look forward to continuing to work with Ufa with his development next season. Ufa has done an excellent job guiding Rodion’s development as a player to date and we are excited to work very closely with them through the summer and into the future.

That statement suggests that Amirov will head back to the KHL on loan for the 2021-22 season where he plays for Ufa Salavat Yulayev. In fact, Chris Johnston of Sportsnet even tweets that Amirov may be back in Russia for the 2022-23 season as well if he fails to make the NHL roster. In 39 regular season games this season he recorded 13 points and was held scoreless in nine postseason matches.

Importantly, Johnston also reports that Amirov will not have any performance bonuses built into his entry-level deal, making it easier for the Maple Leafs to recall him when they feel he is ready.

Selected 15th overall in 2020, Amirov has shown flashes of brilliance in the KHL but also often looks overmatched against players sometimes more than a decade his senior. When playing against similar-aged competition at the World Juniors he fared a bit better, recording two goals and six points in seven games. It was really at the Karjala Cup, an international tournament in Finland, where Amirov really showed what he could do, earning top forward honors for the event. The Russians won the tournament despite sending their junior team.

The Maple Leafs won’t see him in the lineup anytime soon, but getting Amirov to sign was an important step towards getting him to North America permanently.

Injury Notes: Gallagher, Tanev, Eichel, Andersen

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Montreal Canadiens GM Marc Bergevin spoke with the media today following the passing of the trade deadline and did not parse words when asked about injured star Brendan Gallagher. Bergevin does not believe that Gallagher has a chance to play prior to the conclusion of the regular season, he openly admitted. This would align with the six-week timeframe that Gallagher received after fracturing his thumb this past week. There was some optimism that Gallagher could return before the Canadiens’ season is currently scheduled to end on May 11, but Bergevin either does not see this as realistic or simply will not rush Gallagher back to play regular season games. With the North Division playoff teams all but set, Montreal faces little risk of missing the postseason so the priority with Gallagher is only to get him as healthy as possible for the playoffs.

  • Pittsburgh Penguins GM Ron Hextall had similar things to say about one of his own players today. Hextall told the media that the move to acquire Jeff Carter was at least partially influenced by the belief that Brandon Tanev will not play again in the regular season. He stated that Tanev’s upper-body injury, which landed him on Long-Term Injured Reserve, is a “tough injury to judge” but that he does not believe the rugged forward can return before the playoffs. Tanev has been a scoring presence and a physical presence for the Penguins this year and the team will have to replace his output in a number of areas. Fortunately, Hextall at least noted that Kasperi Kapanen is expected back in 10-14 days and Evgeni Malkin is likely to play again before the end of the regular season.
  • The Buffalo Sabres’ season is obviously lost and the team will not rush injured superstar Jack Eichel back into action to play meaningless games. GM Kevyn Adams spoke to the media today and stated that Eichel has not officially been shut down for the year, but he is at least out for a while longer. The superb center has missed 18 games since suffering a neck injury in early March and has only made “slight improvement” in that time per Adams. He did not rule out Eichel playing in some of the Sabres’ final games, but by that point it seems even more unlikely that the team will see any value in putting him back in the lineup.
  • One GM did share some optimism with the media today regarding a key injury. Toronto’s Kyle Dubas made it clear that he does not consider starting goaltender Frederik Andersen to be done for the season. Andersen’s has been struggling with a nagging injury and to this point there has been no timetable for his return. As a result, Dubas made a major addition in net by trading for David Rittich to pair with the red-hot Jack Campbell, but he did not rule out Andersen taking his job back at some point. Dubas did not try to guess as to whether Andersen would be able to return before the end of the regular season or if he would instead be active for the playoffs, but he simply believes that Andersen will play for the Maple Leafs again this year. For the impending free agent, pushing through the pain to get back on the ice may be Andersen’s last chance of suiting up for Toronto again.

Trade Rumors: Florida, Chicago, Toronto, Hall, Iafallo

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The Florida Panthers’ trade of Brett Connolly earlier today was seemingly a precursor to something more, perhaps even a lot more. The trade opens up even more cap room for a Panthers’ team that already had substantial space, seemingly allowing them to do whatever they want at the trade deadline. With an estimated $16.4MM in full-season cap space per CapFriendly, no one is off limits to the Cats, who are looking to make the most of their firm playoff position in the Central Division. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports during the latest edition of “Insider Trading” that Florida is seeking both a top-six forward and top-four defenseman and with this additional space, there is no reason why they can’t address both if they can find reasonable trades. LeBrun notes that the Panthers were one of the teams discussing Kyle Palmieri with the New Jersey Devils prior to yesterday’s deal and will have to look elsewhere for help up front. On the blue line, LeBrun believes that rookie GM Bill Zito could look to reunite with David Savard, one of his former players in Columbus and a player heavily expected to be dealt before the deadline. One way or another, the Panthers are absolutely a buyer and a team to watch as Monday’s deadline approaches.

  • As for the other side of this morning’s trade, the Chicago Blackhawks are expected to continue to use their cap room in hopes of adding other assets, LeBrun reports. Today’s deal not only landed a serviceable forward in Connolly, but also two nice young assets in Riley Stillman and Henrik Borgstrom. GM Stan Bowman would like to make as many of these types of deals as he can before the deadline. With so many teams across the league struggling with cap space, the Blackhawks could net several other pieces by offering up their financial flexibility. Specifically, LeBrun notes that Bowman has been talking to the Maple Leafs about a trade that would free up some space in Toronto.
  • The Maple Leafs have been searching for a forward for some time, but it has not been going well. Not only are the Leafs dealing with a cap crunch, but their targets keep disappearing from the market too. Frank Seravalli reports that Toronto had previously shown strong interest in both Palmieri and Nashville’s Mikael Granlund; Palmieri is now an Islander and the Predators are in playoff position. The team will have to look elsewhere, but don’t expect them to turn to Taylor Hall. While Darren Dreger notes that interest in Hall is picking up with Palmieri off the market, Seravalli notes that the Leafs are not a suitor. Both Hall’s cap cost and the asking price to acquire him are thought to be too much for GM Kyle Dubas. That could change if Toronto finds a way to open up cap space and the bidding war for Hall fizzles out, but it seems unlikely that a deal will come together by Monday if the Leafs have shown no interest thus far.
  • Tanner Pearson has finally signed a new contract with the Vancouver Canucks, but don’t worry a new extension-or-trade drama has already rose up to take it’s place. Seravalli reports that the Los Angeles Kings have been working hard to re-sign impending UFA forward Alex Iafallo and have previously turned away trade offers. However, the two sides have not been able to reach an agreement and time is running out. L.A. is now finally listening to offers for Iafallo, though extension talks continue. The Kings still hope to re-sign the 27-year-old scorer, but will have no choice but to trade him if a deal is not in place by Monday. L.A. is too far outside of a playoff spot right now to justify keeping Iafallo only to watch him walk for nothing as a free agent.

North Notes: Maple Leafs, Holloway, Senators Goalies

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For the past several weeks, the belief has been that the Maple Leafs would be targeting a top-six winger upgrade.  However, GM Kyle Dubas told Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription link) that Alex Galchenyuk’s performance so far has reduced the urgency to make such a move.  The 27-year-old has a goal and three assists in nine games with Toronto and will require waivers to go back to the taxi squad once he suits up again.  Their cap situation is well-known – they’re pretty close to needing to match money in whatever moves they try to make – so it would definitely help if Galchenyuk can hold down that spot on the second line.

Dubas also indicated that he’s hopeful to have more information regarding Frederik Andersen’s availability over the next few days and that he expects that the Maple Leafs won’t have to make a move to bring in any extra goaltending depth.

More from the North Division:

  • In an interview with Daniel Nugent-Bowman of The Athletic (subscription link) Oilers GM Ken Holland indicated that they have told top prospect Dylan Holloway that they would like him to turn pro. However, with his broken thumb, he’s still several weeks away from being available to play so that decision can be deferred for a while.  The 19-year-old had a very strong sophomore year at Wisconsin with 11 goals and 24 assists in just 23 games and if he’s healthy and willing to turn pro, he could be an interesting addition to Edmonton down the stretch.
  • The Senators could be getting their goalie tandem back soon. Postmedia’s Bruce Garrioch notes that both Marcus Hogberg and Matt Murray are skating and nearing returns; Hogberg has been out since mid-February while Murray was injured in the pregame warmup back on March 14th.  Anton Forsberg and Filip Gustavsson have served as the goalies in recent weeks and while the latter is waiver-exempt, Forsberg could once again find himself in the third-string reserve role that he has held for most of the season.

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