- During today’s Leafs Lunch radio program on TSN Radio, Sports Illustrated’s David Alter called in to discuss a number of Toronto Maple Leafs notes, including the status of injured defenseman Morgan Rielly. Alter acknowledged an earlier report by TSN’s Darren Dreger, who believed Rielly’s timeline to be somewhere around four-to-six weeks, but added that when he caught up with Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas recently, Toronto’s timeline was only to the extent of the LTIR minimum duration: 24 days and 10 games. Alter adds that Rielly, who has been working out with the team, has not yet resumed skating and thus the earliest return date from LTIR, which would be on December 17th, seems very unlikely. Rielly has been dealing with an MCL injury suffered in a collision with New York Islanders forward Kyle Palmieri, who was also injured on the play, back on November 21st.
Maple Leafs Rumors
Toronto Maple Leafs Re-Assign Semyon Der-Arguchintsev
Ahead of their game tonight against the Los Angeles Kings, the Toronto Maple Leafs have loaned Semyon Der-Arguchintsev back to the minor leagues. This is notable, as it could signal the return of T.J. Brodie, who has been absent for weeks while dealing with an oblique injury.
Victor Mete was the latest Maple Leafs defenseman to go down to injury, leaving the team with even fewer experienced bodies on the back end. If Brodie can return, it would be a huge boost to a group that is being led by 39-year-old Mark Giordano.
Der-Arguchintsev, 22, made his NHL debut this week, playing just a handful of minutes on the fourth line. The 2018 third-round pick has been excellent for the Toronto Marlies, scoring 18 points in 20 games and generally being one of their most reliable forwards. Undersized, he relies on excellent playmaking skills to contribute.
Now 7-0-3 in their last ten, the Maple Leafs will take on the Kings in the first of a three-game homestand starting tonight.
Chicago Blackhawks Re-Assign Lukas Reichel, Place Petr Mrazek On IR
Dec 7: So much for that. Reichel has been returned to the AHL.
Dec 6: A top prospect is on his way up to the NHL. According to the AHL’s transactions log, the Chicago Blackhawks recalled forward Lukas Reichel from the AHL’s Rockford IceHogs today. In a corresponding transaction, they also placed goalie Petr Mrazek on injured reserve retroactive to December 3, per NBC Sports Chicago’s Charlie Roumeliotis.
The move comes as Jonathan Toews is set to miss tonight’s game with a non-COVID illness, so it’s feasible that Reichel doesn’t stay up long-term. However, the team’s 17th overall pick in 2020 again dominates the minors and could force the team’s hand.
For the second consecutive season, Reichel is operating at more than a point-per-game pace in the AHL and sits second on Rockford, scoring 10 goals and 23 points in 19 games. With depth players like Jujhar Khaira and Colin Blackwell struggling to produce, Reichel might have the opportunity to get in a meaningful string of NHL action if he performs well tonight.
Mrazek is dealing with his second groin injury of the season, an issue that plagued him last season with the Toronto Maple Leafs as well. Those injuries have limited the team’s presumptive starter to just nine games this year, and his .884 save percentage and 4.06 goals-against average are the worst among the team’s top three goalies. He can return as soon as this weekend.
Toronto Maple Leafs To Place Calle Jarnkrok On IR
According to Sports Illustrated’s David Alter, the Toronto Maple Leafs will be placing winger Calle Jarnkrok on IR. In response, the Maple Leafs announced that they are recalling forward Semyon Der-Arguchintsev from the Toronto Marlies, their AHL affiliate. Jarnkrok’s IR placement was needed in order for the Maple Leafs to recall Der-Arguchintsev. Still, despite the need for a roster move to accommodate Der-Arguchintsev, the team has not confirmed Jarnkrok’s IR placement.
Jarnkrok suffered a groin injury during Wednesday night’s game against the San Jose Sharks, ultimately leaving the game early without a return. By Friday, Toronto was able to fully assess the forward and head coach Sheldon Keefe told the media the team would be without Jarnkrok for two weeks at the least. The Swede has fit in well with the Maple Leafs during the first of a four year, $8.4MM contract he signed this offseason, recording five goals and four assists in 25 games to date.
A third-round pick of the Maple Leafs in 2018, Der-Arguchintsev has shown to be a quality professional hockey player thus far. After a strong OHL career with the Peterborough Petes, the Russian-born forward returned home for part of the 2020-21 season, where he recorded six points in 17 KHL games before coming back to North America and suiting up for the Marlies, where he’s been since. The 22-year-old had 32 points in 51 games last season, showing he belonged in professional hockey, but has turned it up a notch this season with 18 points in 20 AHL games. If he gets into game action for the Maple Leafs, it’ll be his NHL debut and after his consistent improvement year over year, it’ll be a debut the Maple Leafs should be excited about.
Calle Jarnkrok Out At Least Two Weeks
The Toronto Maple Leafs will be without Calle Jarnkrok for the next two weeks at least, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Luke Fox of Sportsnet. The utility forward is dealing with a groin injury suffered on Wednesday night. T.J. Brodie, who is also out with an injury, will accompany the team on their upcoming road trip but is not expected to play.
Jarnkrok, 31, signed a four-year deal with the Maple Leafs in the offseason and has done a little bit of everything for them this season. Recently, he had been lining up on his off-wing next to John Tavares and Mitch Marner, benefiting from the talented forwards for a handful of points. He likely hasn’t been quite the presence that the front office was hoping for, though, as through 25 games he has scored just nine points.
A two-week absence will open the door for someone else like Nicholas Robertson to play with the Tavares line, as the Maple Leafs try to keep their winning streak alive. The team has won five in a row and is now 8-0-2 in their last ten, one of the hottest groups in the league. Even so, they sit three points behind the Boston Bruins in the Atlantic Division chase, despite having played three more games.
With Jake Muzzin and Morgan Rielly both on long-term injured reserve, the team has plenty of cap flexibility to recall a player in Jarnkrok’s absence if they choose.
Toronto Maple Leafs Activate Ilya Samsonov
One of the biggest question marks about the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer was whether their new goaltenders would be able to stay healthy. Matt Murray and Ilya Samsonov didn’t exactly have a clean history in terms of injury, and those concerns have played out. Both goaltenders have spent time on the injured reserve list already, leading to Erik Kallgren appearing in ten games already.
Today, with the activation of Samsonov, the team finally has both of their top netminders healthy at the same time, something that hasn’t been true since the very start of the year. Kallgren has been sent back down to make room on the roster, as Samsonov is expected to be in the net tonight against the San Jose Sharks.
When they have been in the net, Murray and Samsonov have been excellent. The former has a .927 save percentage and is now 5-1-1 on the year, while the latter is at .921 and 6-2. If that kind of performance continues, general manager Kyle Dubas’ offseason risk will be worthwhile.
The question now is whether they can remain available for the rest of the year. It starts tonight, as Samsonov returns to try and extend a four-game winning streak for the Maple Leafs, one which has catapulted them into second place in the Atlantic Division, six points ahead of the Tampa Bay Lightning.
Evening Notes: Stars, Letang, Samsonov
The Dallas Stars are off to a strong start under new head coach Pete DeBoer, and they’re looking to get stronger. Per TSN’s Darren Dreger on tonight’s edition of Insider Trading, the Stars are still looking to add a top-six forward, preferably to play with Tyler Seguin and Mason Marchment.
They’ve had a rotating cast playing on the wing with those two, and although Seguin and Marchment have played well, they’d obviously like some added depth and to get a player that boasts chemistry with them. Jamie Benn is having a resurgence in limited minutes, scoring 26 points in 23 games, and they’d prefer to keep his ice time down below 15-16 minutes. If nothing comes to fruition, the strong performances of youngsters Ty Dellandrea and Wyatt Johnston should still safeguard their depth scoring.
- Pittsburgh Penguins defenseman Kris Letang has been in and out of the lineup recently, and he’s missing another contest tonight. Letang is absent from their game against the Carolina Hurricanes with an undisclosed illness, the team announced before puck drop. It’s his second missed game of the season after missing a game earlier this month, also with an illness. He revealed weeks ago that he had been battling an illness for a stretch of games; whether or not this is a related illness is unclear.
- Toronto Maple Leafs goalie Ilya Samsonov says he’s pain-free after his knee injury and is “ready to play,” according to TSN’s Mark Masters. Head coach Sheldon Keefe pumped the brakes on his status, however, saying the team would check on him tomorrow to determine his return to play. The young netminder, who had a strong start to the season, has missed nearly a month.
Jordie Benn Moved To Injured Reserve
The Toronto Maple Leafs are already without Morgan Rielly, T.J. Brodie, and Jake Muzzin, leaving their defensive group a little shorthanded. Last night, Mac Hollowell was forced into extra action in his first-ever NHL game thanks to the early departure of Jordie Benn. Today, head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Mark Masters of TSN that Benn is now on injured reserve and out week-to-week, though the full severity of the injury has yet to be determined.
While the team did just acquire Conor Timmins from the Arizona Coyotes, Toronto isn’t going to force him into the lineup right away. Victor Mete, recalled recently, will be in the lineup next to Hollowell for tomorrow’s game against the Minnesota Wild. Wayne Simmonds was also practicing with the main group, suggesting he’ll be the recall to take Benn’s place on the roster.
The Maple Leafs are now without their three highest-paid defenders, and one of the only depth options that had any real experience. Mete’s 241 NHL games now become the second-highest amount in the group behind Mark Giordano, with Justin Holl’s $2MM cap hit the most expensive. Remember that the team also has Carl Dahlstrom on injured reserve thanks to a preseason injury, meaning five of the organization’s defensemen are unavailable.
Benn, 35, has never been a world-beater but was playing well in his six-game sample with the Maple Leafs, averaging more than 18 minutes a night before exiting early. The team will play in Minnesota, Pittsburgh, and Detroit before heading home for a one-game homestand in the middle of next week.
Borje Salming Passes Away At 71
After coming to see his legions of fans in Toronto one last time, Borje Salming has passed away at the age of 71. The legendary NHL defenseman was present at the recent Hockey Hall of Fame induction ceremony and honored at a Maple Leafs game. Team president Brendan Shanahan released the following statement:
The Toronto Maple Leafs mourn the loss of Börje Salming. Börje was a pioneer of the game and an icon with an unbreakable spirit and unquestioned toughness. He helped open the door for Europeans in the NHL and defined himself through his play on the ice and through his contributions to the community.
Börje joined the Maple Leafs 50 years ago and will forever be a part of our hockey family. We extend our deepest condolences to his wife, Pia, his children Theresa, Anders, Rasmus, Bianca, Lisa, and Sara, and brother Stieg.
Salming was diagnosed with ALS (also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease) in August. After losing the ability to speak, he made the journey from Sweden to Toronto and stood flanked by Darryl Sittler and Mats Sundin while receiving a long standing ovation from the Maple Leafs crowd.
One of the greatest defensemen of all time, Salming finished in the top five of Norris Trophy voting for seven consecutive seasons after arriving in North America. One of the first European players to ever cross the ocean to play in the NHL, he would play 17 seasons in the league, all but one with the Maple Leafs. In total, he suited up 1,148 times in the regular season and recorded 787 points, including a career-high 78 in 1976-77, when he finished fourth in the Hart Trophy vote.
At the 1976 Canada Cup, Salming received a standing ovation from the Toronto crowd despite wearing a Swedish jersey and about to play Canada. He was arguably the most beloved player in Maple Leafs history, and one that changed the dynamic of the NHL for good.
European players would flood the league after trailblazers like Salming found success, with Sweden becoming one of the most well-represented nations in the NHL. He became the first Swedish player inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1996, and would go into the IIHF Hockey Hall of Fame in 1998. In 2017, he was included as one of the NHL’s ’100 Greatest Players.’ His No. 21 was retired by the Maple Leafs in 2016.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
Wayne Simmonds, Zach Sanford Clear Waivers
Nov 23: While Hellberg was claimed yet again, both Simmonds and Sanford have cleared and can be sent to the minor leagues.
Nov 22: The NHL waiver wire is busy today, with three names available for claim. Chris Johnston of NorthStar Bets reports that Wayne Simmonds of the Toronto Maple Leafs, Zach Sanford of the Nashville Predators, and Magnus Hellberg of the Seattle Kraken have all been placed on waivers.
For Simmonds, this isn’t much of a surprise. The 34-year-old has already passed through waivers once this season in early October. No longer a regular in the Toronto lineup, he has bounced up and down between the NHL and AHL whenever necessary, playing in just four games to this point. He’ll likely continue to do the same thing, but needed to have his waiver clock reset after 30 days on the active roster had passed.
Hellberg, meanwhile, will just have to hope he doesn’t have to move again. The veteran netminder signed with the Seattle Kraken but when the team tried to waive him early in the year, the Ottawa Senators grabbed him while they dealt with goaltending issues. While he was taken back by the Kraken, he hasn’t actually played for them yet and is now at risk of another claim. Given his success in the KHL and .935 save percentage in one game with Ottawa, it wouldn’t be much of a surprise to see Hellberg on his way to a new team tomorrow.
It’s Sanford that is somewhat surprising among the three players, as this will be his first time on waivers. The 28-year-old signed a one-year, $850K contract with the Predators in the offseason after splitting last year between the Senators and Winnipeg Jets. In eight games so far he has just two points, and saw fewer than 13 minutes in last night’s game against the Arizona Coyotes. Notably, he took an interference penalty in a tie game with only 2:52 remaining that could have easily cost the Predators the game, though they would eventually kill it off and win in a shootout.
Because of his size, inexpensive contract, and history of success in the league – Sanford scored 16 goals and 30 points in 58 games during the 2019-20 season – there’s a reasonable argument to be made for a team to claim him. If he isn’t taken, though, clearing waivers will give the Predators a bit more roster flexibility.