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Former Maple Leafs Defenseman Larry Hillman Passes Away

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Former NHL defenseman and Stanley Cup Champion Larry Hillman has passed away, confirm the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hillman was 85 years old. The Maple Leafs released the following statement following his passing:

“We are deeply saddened to learn the passing of Larry Hillman. Larry played in the National Hockey League between 1955 and 1973 and had his name engraved on the Stanley Cup six times, including four with the Maple Leafs in 1962, 1963, 1964, and 1967. An active member of our alumni, Larry was a gentleman with a warm and generous smile. He was a proud husband, father and family man. Our thoughts are with his loved ones.”

Not the household name of some of his Stanley Cup teammates, Hillman made a long career for himself, spanning 22 seasons, as a reliable, shutdown defenseman for his teams. The defenseman began his career in 1954-55 with the Detroit Red Wings as a teenager, a team that would go on to win the Stanley Cup. After parts of three seasons with Detroit, Hillman was claimed on waivers by the Boston Bruins, where he would play parts of three more seasons before again being claimed on waivers by the Toronto Maple Leafs. Hillman would spend the next eight seasons in Toronto, helping the team to four Stanley Cups.

Jack Campbell Likely To Test Free Agency

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  • At this point, it appears as if Maple Leafs goaltender Jack Campbell will test unrestricted free agency next month, TSN’s Chris Johnston suggested in a recent appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link). Toronto knows what Campbell’s asking price has been for quite some time dating back to contract talks in the fall and they haven’t been willing to meet that just yet.  Campbell, who was named to the All-Star Game this season, had an up and down year, posting a 2.64 GAA along with a .914 SV% in 49 games.  He’s set to be one of the better goalies to hit the open market and could push for three times the AAV he had on his expiring deal which checked in at $1.65MM.

Latest On Jack Campbell

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The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t currently have a starting goalie for next season. Petr Mrazek is signed but has already worn out his welcome with fans after struggling through injuries and poor play in his first go-round with the team. Handing him the majority of the starts would be flirting with disaster after his .888 save percentage in 2021-22. Erik Kallgren and Joseph Woll are both on two-way deals for next year and have shown at least some ability to contribute at the NHL level, but again aren’t really options to start.

That situation has always suggested that the team would bring back Jack Campbell, an unrestricted free agent this summer after finding his game in Toronto. Perhaps that shouldn’t be assumed, as Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes in his latest 32 Thoughts column that the two sides were far apart the last time they talked, and Campbell’s agent tells him there has been “no material contract conversation” since the end of the season.

While that certainly doesn’t guarantee a split between Campbell and the Maple Leafs, it would be easy to understand why, if it did happen. Even with Mark Giordano giving the team a substantial discount on his new deal, Toronto is still in a very tight cap situation for next season, partially because of the $3.8MM that Mrazek carries. If the team can’t get rid of that number somehow, it stands to reason that they will be forced to rely on him as at least a tandem option.

There are still several weeks before free agency opens, and things like contract negotiations can change dramatically with one phone call, but the Maple Leafs goaltending situation is an interesting one to watch. With the market looking rather scarce on starting options, it’s hard to know what direction the team will take if they can’t get a contract worked out.

For Campbell himself, this is likely the best chance he’ll ever have at a substantial payday in the NHL. The 30-year-old goaltender has posted a .916 save percentage in 77 appearances with Toronto, including a career-high 49 this season. While there have certainly been rocky periods, he has also shown brilliance for stretches and confirmed that he can at least be an above-average option at the NHL level. A multi-year contract with a significant raise on the $1.8MM he made this season seems likely. Whether it will be in Toronto remains to be seen.

Jason Spezza Announces Retirement

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Maple Leafs forward Jason Spezza has announced his retirement today, ending an NHL career that lasted over 1,200 games. As part of the announcement, it was revealed that Spezza will be joining Toronto’s front office as special assistant to GM Kyle Dubas. Spezza gave a statement regarding his decision, saying:

Hockey has been my life’s work and to be able to come home to Toronto and bookend my playing career where it started was incredible. To the fans – in Ottawa, Dallas, Toronto and across the league – your impact on the game is immeasurable. I’ll never be able to replicate that feeling of stepping onto the ice to the roar of the crowd, but it is something I’ll always remember. Thank you.

Spezza’s full statement can be read as part of the Maple Leafs’ announcement. While Spezza ends his career without any major NHL awards or his name on the Stanley Cup, he hangs up his skates with something arguably far more valuable: the respect and adoration of the entire hockey world.

Dubas spoke to that as part of the Maple Leafs’ announcement, stating: “It is difficult to describe just how much of a lasting and positive impact that Jason Spezza made in his three seasons with the Maple Leafs.” Similar comments have begun flowing in from across the hockey world. TSN’s Chris Johnston spoke to Spezza’s unwavering professionalism despite declining ice time and production, TSN’s James Duthie called him a “pure class guy from start to finish,” and Sportsnet’s Eric Engels put it simply: “great guy, great player.”

Engels’ statement is one that best describes the impact Spezza has had on hockey throughout his 20-year professional career. He could do it all on the ice: he led the Ottawa Senators to some of the best seasons in their franchise’s history and was among the NHL’s most talented scorers for that stretch. He dazzled with his offense and helped the NHL game transition to the more skill-based brand of hockey we are now accustomed to.

But even beyond Spezza’s incredible impact on the ice has been the things he’s done off it. Spezza has been involved in numerous philanthropic causes over the course of his career and has often led the charge in those efforts, using the valuable platform his skills gave him to do good. Whether it was in Ottawa, Dallas, or Toronto, Spezza always went above and beyond to be a player his city could be proud of, regardless of how he was performing on the ice.

In terms of his new role, Dubas said Spezza will begin immediately, starting with this year’s NHL Entry draft and free agency, and will primarily be observing and learning at this point (link). Dubas added that Spezza will be given the next year or so to experience the entire front office picture before determining where he is best suited in his management career (link). Of course not sure yet, Dubas predicted player evaluation and management would be where his former player would end up.

While a potential Hall of Fame debate and heated discussions about his ultimate on-ice legacy are sure to come, the impact Spezza leaves on this era of hockey and the teams he played for is undeniable. If Spezza’s career as a Maple Leafs executive is anything like his playing career, fans in Toronto should be extremely excited.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Maple Leafs Make Front Office Changes

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Though they won’t be making sweeping changes, the Toronto Maple Leafs front office will look a little different next year. David Alter of The Leafs Nation reports that senior director of player evaluation Jim Paliafito and hockey research and development analyst Cam Charron are no longer with the club.

Paliafito is the bigger news here, as he has been with the club since 2015 and is often credited with finding some of the late-round or undrafted European players the team has iced over the last several years. After spending several years as the general manager of the Saginaw Spirit, he joined the Maple Leafs for the 2015-16 season in the same player evaluation role he is now exiting.

Involved in the recruitment of players like Nikita Zaitsev, Ilya Mikheyev, and others, Paliafito impact has been significant on the Maple Leafs, despite the lack of organizational playoff success that has been achieved with this group.

Charron meanwhile has been with the team’s analytics department since 2014, when Brendan Shanahan took over the organization and made sweeping changes to the front office and hockey operations.

East Notes: Giordano, Rust, Hextall

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Yesterday, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Mark Giordano signed a two-year extension to remain in Toronto, an extension that was immediately characterized as being highly team-friendly in nature. It seems that the team-friendly nature of the extension was by design and by the request of Giordano himself. According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, the original deal between Giordano and Toronto was “around” $1MM AAV, but Giordano preferred to sign at around $200K lower than that offer in order to allow the Maple Leafs “go out and do something else to help [them] win.”

While $200,000 may seem like a relatively small amount within the grand scale of the NHL’s salary structure, one has to remember that it is a significant amount of money for any person. For Giordano to reportedly forgo that amount of money, a sum that he has rightfully earned with his play in Toronto, in order for his team to have a little extra wiggle room to add players is an incredibly generous gesture. Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas said as much, referencing a “tremendous sacrifice” in Giordano’s contract negotiation process. The Maple Leafs have serious designs on competing for a Stanley Cup in the near future, and it now is evident that at least one of their players has quite literally bought into that vision.

Now, for some other notes regarding the league’s Eastern Conference teams:

  • The Penguins recently extended forward Bryan Rust on a six-year deal worth just over $5MM per year. Today, Penguins GM Ron Hextall had some other news regarding Rust, stating that the forward had undergone a “clean-up” surgery. Hextall downplayed the importance of the operation, stating that it was only a minor procedure and that Rust will be ready for the start of next season. Given the amount the team has now invested in Rust and his health, it’s important for Rust to be on the right health footing at the start of next season so the Penguins can hit the ground running on their next chance to win a Stanley Cup.
  • With the pending unrestricted free agencies of Kris Letang and Evgeni Malkin looming, some believe that next season could be a transitional one for the Penguins, where they perhaps take a small step back from true contention in order to re-tool and extend their overall competitive window. Today, Hextall spoke on that idea and clarified the direction of the Penguins franchise. He stated, as relayed by Mike DeFabo of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, that the team is going to “continue on trying to win the Stanley Cup,” and that their new owners, Fenway Sports Group, are “totally on board” with this all-in approach. Despite the contract uncertainty of Malkin and Letang, two players Hextall deemed “generational,” it looks as though the Penguins will not be embarking on the re-tool some fans believe they need and instead will be doubling down on their chance to win a Stanley Cup with their current core.

Mark Giordano Signs Extension With Maple Leafs

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed an extremely team-friendly extension with defenseman Mark Giordano, paying him $800,000 per season for two years.

Toronto acquired Giordano, the 2019 Norris Trophy winner, at the 2022 Trade Deadline from the Seattle Kraken. The first captain in Kraken history had new life breathed into his game upon joining Toronto. While he saw more limited ice time, the ageing defenseman showed that he could get back to his elite game given less pressure and minutes. Averaging under 20 minutes per game in Toronto for the first time since 2009, Giordano had a very respectable 12 points in 20 regular-season games. He added on two assists in seven playoff games.

While broken up in the playoffs, he and Timothy Liljegren looked absolutely spectacular for Toronto post-deadline. With similar play styles, Giordano seemed to be the appropriate mentor for the young Liljegren. It’s hard to imagine that they won’t see some more time together in 2022-23.

The 50+ point seasons of yore certainly aren’t in the cards for Giordano moving forward. However, he’s shown the ability over the past few seasons to maintain his defensive game even as his point totals fall. He’s still much more valuable than a standard seventh defenseman, immediately making his contract a steal. If he’s able to maintain that level of defensive play or even just limit its decline, this becomes an extremely valuable signing to add defensive depth on the left side while Rasmus Sandin continues to develop his game.

Giordano was also the recipient of the 2020 Mark Messier Leadership Award, evidencing his long-standing reputation of being a strong voice in the room. Over 1024 career games, the 6’1″ / 200 lb defenseman has 151 goals, 393 assists, and 544 points.

Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman was first to report the deal.

William Nylander Joins Team Sweden At Worlds

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The Swedish national team is getting a nice boost for the rest of the World Championship, as Toronto Maple Leafs forward William Nylander will join for the event. Nylander last appeared at the tournament in 2019, where he scored an incredible 18 points in eight games, two years after being named MVP in his first appearance.

Nylander is coming off his best season in the NHL. In 81 games, he racked up 34 goals and 80 points, both career highs, and was a point-per-game player in the team’s first-round loss to the Tampa Bay Lightning. Despite all that, his name continues to surface in trade speculation as the Maple Leafs have been unable to find any semblance of postseason success with this group.

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.

Jason Spezza Unsure Of Future; Will Only Play For Maple Leafs

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The Toronto Maple Leafs once again were unable to get out of the first round of the Stanley Cup Playoffs, once again losing a game seven after having an earlier chance to end the series. With the season over, players, coaches, and management met with the media today to discuss what went wrong and where they will go from here.

One of those players has a very uncertain future. Jason Spezza will turn 39 in less than a month and is scheduled to become an unrestricted free agent this summer. The second-overall pick from 2001 is just five points away from 1,000 for his career after having another successful year in Toronto, contributing 12 goals and 25 points in extremely limited minutes. Since arriving in 2019, the veteran forward has averaged fewer than 11 minutes a night for the Maple Leafs, but still has 80 points in 183 games, giving their fourth line some offensive juice whenever possible.

When asked about his future, however, Spezza seemed to have no real understanding of whether he’d be back in a Maple Leafs sweater next season. He told reporters that he feels “a little lost right now,” but added that he would not play for any other organization at this point in his career. He’ll speak with his family and the management team to see if there is a place for him next season, or whether it’s time to retire.

If he isn’t back, it has been quite the career. Spezza has played in 1,248 regular season games, split between the Maple Leafs, Dallas Stars, and Ottawa Senators, where he first burst onto the scene as a super-skilled center that could routinely put up huge offensive numbers. In 2008 he scored a career-high 82 points in just 76 games, a year after taking the Senators to the Stanley Cup Final with a playoff-leading 22 points in 20 games.

Spezza currently sits 94th all-time in points and 97th all-time in games played.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

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