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Ondrej Kase Diagnosed With Concussion

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It’s been several weeks since Ondrej Kase was in the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup, and today, finally, head coach Sheldon Keefe confirmed to reporters including Mark Masters of TSN that the forward is dealing with a concussion. Kase left a game on March 19 against the Nashville Predators after colliding with Matt Duchene at center ice, needing help to get to the room.

While it certainly isn’t surprising, given the way he reacted to the contact, it is concerning for the 26-year-old forward. Kase has dealt with multiple head injuries throughout his career, a journey detailed by James Mirtle of The Athletic last month, just a few weeks before he suffered this latest concussion. The first incident was in the minors, as a 19-year-old in his third game in North America, the latest–which Mirtle speculates could be a number into the double digits–coming in his 257th NHL regular season game.

With no timeline for his return, it appears as though this comeback season for Kase might end in the same way so many of his others have. When healthy, he had been so excellent for the Maple Leafs, providing energy and scoring depth for a low cost. In 50 games, he has 14 goals and 27 points, while averaging 14 minutes a night.

Now, it’s completely unclear what lies ahead. The Maple Leafs can retain Kase’s rights as a restricted free agent with a $1.25MM qualifying offer, though that would open up the possibility of arbitration. With a relatively flat salary cap, young players pushing for promotions in the organization, and now another head injury, it’s hard to see Toronto–or anyone else really–committing to more than just a one-year deal for the Czech forward.

That’s another disappointing result, given how incredible it is that Kase has even made it this far. Selected 205th overall in 2014, he was in the NHL just two years later with the Anaheim Ducks and actually sits 27th in scoring for his entire draft class. That’s well ahead of players selected in the first round, including a pair of top-ten picks. Hopefully, after some time, he’ll be symptom-free from this latest concussion, whether that results in a return to the ice or not.

Matthew Knies To Take A Few Days To Decide Whether Or Not To Turn Pro

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  • While Minnesota has been eliminated from the Frozen Four tournament, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that Matthew Knies will take a few days to decide whether or not to turn pro. The Maple Leafs drafted the 19-year-old forward 57th overall last summer and opted to hold a contract slot available for him over converting an AHL player to an NHL deal at the trade deadline.  He averaged a point per game in 33 contests with the Golden Gophers this season while also suiting up at the Olympics.  If Knies isn’t going to play in the NHL right away, staying in college for his sophomore year would make more sense from a development perspective.  It’s believed that Knies is leaning towards staying in school at this time.

Maple Leafs Recall Carter Hutton

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There are a dozen games on the schedule today including an Original Six matchup between Montreal and Toronto where the Maple Leafs will look to become the third team in the Eastern Conference to officially clinch a playoff spot with a victory.  With that many games on tap, there should be several roster moves made throughout the day which we’ll keep track of here.

  • The Maple Leafs appear to have brought up goaltender Carter Hutton as TSN’s Mark Masters notes (Twitter link) that the veteran was at the morning skate today. Hutton was acquired from Arizona back in February but remained with their AHL affiliate in Tucson.  However, with Toronto’s AHL affiliate having three injured goalies plus Petr Mrazek out for the rest of the regular season, Toronto now has a use for the 36-year-old whose presence could eventually allow Erik Kallgren to go back to the minors where he’d get more playing time unless they eventually opt to send Hutton to the Marlies instead.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Axel Rindell

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are bringing one of their prospects across the Atlantic. Finnish defenseman Axel Rindell, one of the team’s three sixth-round picks in 2020, is signing a two-year entry-level contract that will kick in in 2022-23. The team announced that Rindell will sign an AHL professional tryout deal so that he can join the Toronto Marlies for the rest of this season.

Rindell, 21, has been playing in Liiga in his native Finland for the past three seasons. He spent his first two seasons playing for Mikkelin Jukurit, before switching midway through this season to play for Karpat. Rindell has flashed decent offense in Liiga, one of the best men’s leagues outside the NHL, and has 12 points in 26 games for Karpat this season.

Rindell is an undersized defenseman, standing at five-foot-ten and 174 pounds, but like many other undersized blueliners he has carved out his professional career on the back of his skating, puck skills, and abilities on the power play. He represented his country at the 2021 IIHF World Championship, winning a silver medal, and if he can transition his solid play in Liiga to his North American professional career perhaps Toronto will have unearthed a nice find from late in the 2020 draft.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Max Ellis

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed another undrafted forward out of the University of Notre Dame, inking Max Ellis to a two-year entry-level contract. The deal begins in the 2022-23 season and Ellis will join the Toronto Marlies on a professional tryout for the rest of 2021-22. James Mirtle of The Athletic reports that it will carry an average annual value of $838,750 at the NHL level.

Ellis, 22, follows former teammate Alex Steeves into the Maple Leafs organization. Steeves signed last spring after his junior season with Notre Dame, and now Ellis has done the same, following his 16-goal, 28-point year with the Fighting Irish. It’s been a rollercoaster career for the young forward to this point, who played for four different USHL teams in two years before heading to college and was forced to fight and claw his way up the Notre Dame depth chart.

Now, he enters the Toronto organization as another undersized winger with some interesting offensive upside and will have to do the same for the Marlies lineup card. An entry-level contract certainly doesn’t guarantee him any NHL playing time and there are many other young forwards already signed for next season. In fact, the Maple Leafs already have 12 forwards on entry-level deals for 2022-23, plus Joey Anderson’s $750K one-way deal. That’s a lot of mouths to feed, and should create plenty of competition in the minor leagues.

NCAA Notes: Marlies, UMass, Transfers, Smilanic

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have made their first foray into the college hockey free agent market this year with a pair of AHL signings. The Toronto Marlies have announced that defenseman Michael Joyaux and forward Nolan Walker have been signed to AHL contracts for the 2022-23 season, as well as tryout deals for the remainder of this season. Joyaux, 25, may be an older prospect but is nevertheless coming off of his best collegiate season at Western Michigan with 32 points in 35 games, almost more than his first three years of scoring combined. As the Broncos marched to a No. 1 seed in the NCAA Tournament, Joyaux was one of the leaders with the second-most assists on the team, behind only standout free agent Drew Worrard and ahead of the Philadelphia Flyers’ Ronnie Attard. Defense is not Joyaux’s greatest strength, but the Leafs have been willing to take a shot on puck-moving college defensemen in recent years. Walker, 23, leaves St. Cloud State after four productive seasons, totaling 87 points in 135 games. Though Walker never topped his freshman season, when he made the NCHC All-Rookie Team with 27 points, the play-making forward has continued to develop his all-around game with the Huskies and appears ready for the next level.

  • Two members of the 2021 National Champion Massachusetts Minutemen are ready to begin their pro careers on amateur tryouts. Forward Oliver Chau, who actually joined Quinnipiac this season as a graduate transfer, has signed with the Tuscon Roadrunners, his college team announced. While Chau was critical to UMass’ run to a title last year, he had his best season to date with the Bobcats this year, finishing third on the talented team in scoring with 33 points in 42 games. Next up for the undersized forward is the challenge of translating his game to the pros. Goaltender Matt Murray is also on the move. After a full five years at UMass during which he recorded an excellent .629 winning percentage, .916 save percentage, 2.23 GAA, and 11 shutouts in 121 games, Murray is off to Texas. The AHL Stars announced that they have inked the experienced netminder to an ATO. While Murray had previously been linked to the Pittsburgh Penguins after attending development camps with the team, Murray opted not to land behind Filip Lindberg on the depth chart once again and should have more opportunity with Texas, where a contract offer seems likely.
  • The NCAA Transfer Portal is buzzing these days with numerous daily additions from the top ranks of college hockey. A few notable names have already found new homes for next season, including Chayse Primeau and Matthew Thiessen (VAN). Keith’s kid and Cayden’s brother, Primeau has been a big name and big scoring presence for Omaha the past four years. While he may have been able to draw an AHL contract this year, Primeau will instead take his talents to Notre Dame with his sights set on a breakout season and NHL contract instead. Omaha beat writer Jordan McAlpine reports that Primeau’s decision is made and he is bounf for South Bend. A consistent, hard-working forward with size and skill, Primeau has the pieces to be a difference maker for the Fighting Irish and perhaps in the pros down the road. Thiessen, a Canucks pick, hypothetically has an NHL contract waiting for him, but has failed to show much for a poor Maine team over the past three years. Statistically, Thiessen has not looked like a pro prospect thus far in his collegiate career and shouldn’t have drawn much attention on the portal. However, a thin goalie transfer market has created far more demand than supply and Thiessen’s draft pedigree has earned him a new home with a power house rather than a non-contender. The 21-year-old keeper is headed for Minnesota-Duluth, per his own announcement, and will have a good shot to be the starter with Ryan Fanti (EDM) turning pro, one 2021-22 backup graduating and the other having struggled this season. Perhaps a bounce back and renewed pro ambitions await for the Vancouver prospect.
  • The biggest transfer portal shock of the off-season arrived on Tuesday when Quinnipiac star Ty Smilanic (MTL) entered. Smilanic, 20, was a third-round pick of the Florida Panthers in 2020 (though many considered him a first- or second-round talent) and was just recently a key piece of the Ben Chiarot deadline deal. Through two seasons at Quinnipiac, he has recorded 27 goals and 44 points in 70 games, finishing among the top scorers for a National Championship contender both years. It seemed like 2022-23 could have been a breakout campaign for Smilanic at QU too; playing behind several veteran players over the past two years who will all be gone next season, Smilanic would have had the opportunity to take over. Instead, he will look elsewhere – and will receive considerable attention – for what could be just one final NCAA season.

Muzzin Returning Tuesday; Nylander Out With Illness Monday

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According to Toronto Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe, defenseman Jake Muzzin is expected to return for Toronto tomorrow night against the Florida Panthers, reports TSN’s Mark Masters. Because goaltender Petr Mrazek has been moved to LTIR after his groin injury last week, Toronto will be able to activate Muzzin without having to make any corresponding salary cap moves. Muzzin went down with an injury on February 21st and has not played since.

  • Also on the Maple Leafs, forward William Nylander will not play tonight in Tampa due to illness, as Toronto takes on the Tampa Bay Lightning, reports David Alter of The Leafs Nation. Drawing in for Nylander is Kyle Clifford, who has played in just 17 games this year between Toronto and the St. Louis Blues, having been shuffled between the NHL, AHL, and the Taxi Squad for most of the year. In these times, seeing Nylander scratched due to illness raises concerns of COVID-19, however the illness appears to be unrelated and there have been no reports of Nylander being placed into protocol.

Jake Muzzin Expected To Return On Upcoming Road Trip

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  • Maple Leafs defenseman Jake Muzzin is expected to return at some point on this road trip but it won’t be tomorrow in Tampa Bay, notes Sportsnet’s Luke Fox (Twitter link). He has missed the last six weeks due to a concussion and is currently on LTIR.  The veteran has had a quiet year offensively with just a dozen points in 41 games but still logs 21 minutes a night and will solidify Toronto’s top four heading into the playoffs.

Rodion Amirov Training In Germany

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  • Also from 32 Thoughts, Friedman discussed Toronto Maple Leafs’ prospect Rodion Amirov, who was recently diagnosed with a brain tumor. Friedman confirms that Amirov finished six weeks of chemotherapy and has four more weeks until his next round. In the meantime, Amirov has been in the gym five days per week and on the ice three times per week in a space rented by the Maple Leafs in Germany. Although Amirov is not out of the woods yet, seeing the young forward continuing to stay in shape and work on his development even in the toughest of times is certainly encouraging in many ways.

Petr Mrazek Expected To Miss Six Weeks

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When the Toronto Maple Leafs failed to add a goaltender at the trade deadline, many questioned the decision given the injury history (and struggles) of both Jack Campbell and Petr Mrazek. It appears as though the worst has come true, as while Campbell slowly works his way back from a rib injury, Mrazek is now expected to miss six weeks following his injury earlier this week. According to head coach Sheldon Keefe, who spoke with reporters including Jonas Siegel of The Athletic, the netminder is undergoing further evaluation but is out for the rest of the regular season.

Campbell meanwhile has been medically cleared to return, though the team will go with Erik Kallgren tonight and recalled Michael Hutchinson to serve as the backup. Jake Muzzin is “real close” to a return from his latest concussion, while Ilya Lyubushkin is still dealing with the effects of Taylor Hall’s punch. Justin Holl, who left the Maple Leafs’ last game after being struck in the head with a puck, is expected to play tonight.

It’s not like Mrazek was playing extremely well–though he had seemed to be turning things around–but losing him for the rest of the regular season puts a huge question mark in net for the Maple Leafs. When he returns (if he returns), will Kallgren have solidified himself as a full-time NHL option? Will Campbell be able to regain the form that made him an All-Star in the first half? Will Michael Hutchinson once again be called upon, despite annual struggles at the NHL level?

All of those are valid questions for Toronto fans now, and the situation only amplifies the frustration of losing Harri Sateri on waivers at the deadline to the Arizona Coyotes. Sateri isn’t even in Arizona yet, meaning he’s going to barely play for the Coyotes before the end of the year, with only 15 games remaining. In Toronto, he likely would have been pressed into duty right away, and provided some extra depth for the organization as they try to figure out the most important position on the ice.

For Mrazek, it means his first regular season with the Maple Leafs will end how it began, with a lower-body injury forcing him out of a game. In 20 appearances, he recorded an .888 save percentage and went 12-6.

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