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Toronto Maple Leafs Place William Nylander In COVID Protocol

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The Toronto Maple Leafs tweeted out this afternoon that the team placed right wing William Nylander into the NHL’s COVID-19 protocol.

Nylander becomes the seventh forward and 13th Maple Leaf on the protocol list. Morgan Rielly entered protocol just yesterday.

John Tavares, Alexander Kerfoot, Ilya Mikheyev, David Kampf, Wayne Simmonds, Jason Spezza, Rasmus Sandin, Travis Dermott, T.J. Brodie, Jack Campbell, and Petr Mrazek round out the rest of the COVID absences for Toronto.

In all likelihood, this means that Nylander won’t be available if the team resumes playing next week. The 25-year-old Swede is enjoying his best season to date, posting 13 goals and 18 assists for 31 points in 30 games while playing 18:47 per game.

With Nylander now out, when Toronto hits the ice again, it’ll likely give a chance for players like Kyle Clifford and Joey Anderson to get back onto the active roster and play some games.

Morgan Rielly Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently on pause with the rest of the league, but they are obviously still doing some testing of their roster. Morgan Rielly and an additional staff member have been placed in the COVID protocol today.

Rielly joins a growing list of Maple Leafs in the protocol. John Tavares, Alexander Kerfoot, Jason Spezza, Wayne Simmonds, T.J. Brodie, Travis Dermott, Jack Campbell, David Kampf, Ilya Mikheyev, Petr Mrazek, Rasmus Sandin, head coach Sheldon Keefe, and several assistants have all entered the protocol in the past few days. In fact, only Tavares and Kerfoot would be eligible to return for the team’s game on December 27, though that would require them to be activated at the soonest possible opportunity.

Because of those absences, it seems possible that the game against the Columbus Blue Jackets will also be postponed, though unlike some other teams the Maple Leafs actually could recall enough players to ice a roster because of the cap space opened up by Mitch Marner’s LTIR designation. Still, with Rielly, Brodie, Dermott, and Sandin (who is also injured) on the shelf, that defense group would certainly leave something to be desired–not to mention the fact that they would need Michael Hutchinson and Joseph Woll in net.

Rielly is off to an outstanding start this season, playing 24 minutes a night for the team and racking up 26 points in 30 games. The veteran defenseman signed a long-term extension in October and has been on fire ever since, scoring at a point-per-game rate since the ink dried. Losing him for any length of time would be a crippling blow to the Maple Leafs.

Maple Leafs, Red Wings Announce More Additions To COVID Protocol

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The Toronto Maple Leafs and Detroit Red Wings, both off for the next several days, have announced more additions to the COVID protocol. Toronto has placed David Kampf, Ilya Mikheyev, Petr Mrazek, Rasmus Sandin, and goaltending coach Steve Briere in the protocol, while Detroit added Adam Erne, Jordan Oesterle, and a member of the support staff.

For the Maple Leafs, that’s a good chunk of their team, given that John Tavares, Alexander Kerfoot, Jason Spezza, Wayne Simmonds, T.J. Brodie, Travis Dermott, Jack Campbell, head coach Sheldon Keefe, and assistant Spencer Carbery were already in the protocol. The team isn’t scheduled to play again until December 27 after the holiday break, but could very well be without several key players if it’s not postponed as well.

Detroit meanwhile has its own growing list, as Sam Gagner, Pius Suter, Joe Veleno, Filip Zadina, Givani Smith, Carter Rowney, Alex Nedeljkovic, Robby Fabbri, Michael Rasmussen, and basically the entire coaching staff were already in the protocol. They too are off until December 27, but given these new placements, could be shorthanded when they take on the New York Rangers, should that game go on as scheduled.

While some of the players listed will be eligible to return soon for both teams, the fact that more players are testing positive is a concern at this point. Hopefully, it stops here, but with the number of players across the league entering the protocol, it seems unlikely.

NHL/NHLPA Pause Cross-Border Travel, Issue Updates On Season And Olympics

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The NHL and NHLPA released a joint statement today that the league will postpone any games that require cross-border travel through the holiday break. The 12 postponed games are as follows:

Canadiens @ Islanders (12/20), Ducks @ Oilers (12/20), Blues @ Senators (12/21), Canucks @ Sharks (12/21), Canadiens @ Rangers (12/22), Jets @ Stars (12/22), Oilers @ Kings (12/22), Blues @ Maple Leafs (12/23), Hurricanes @ Senators (12/23), Canadiens @ Devils (12/23), Ducks @ Canucks (12/23), Oilers @ Sharks (12/23)

Adding on these 12 games, there are now 39 games that the league has postponed this year. As instances pop up of players stuck on the wrong side of the border and potentially unable to get home for the holidays, the pause comes now to prevent any future situations like this from occurring.

However, the NHL and NHLPA in today’s statement remained with their stance today against placing a pause on the entire regular-season schedule. The league will continue to monitor COVID outbreaks on teams on a case-by-case basis, stating that they “will be monitoring not only the number and pattern of positive COVID results but also the depth of Club line-ups so as to ensure both the health and safety of the Players and the integrity of League competition.”

The two parties also gave an update on the potential of Olympic participation, stating they’ll reach a final determination within the coming days. They’re “actively discussing the matter” and commit to remaining flexible. The NHL has until January 10, 2022, to opt out of the Olympics without incurring a financial penalty. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman speculates that an “Olympics without NHL players seems to be a reality,” but doesn’t expect a formal announcement for a few days.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Ty Voit To Entry-Level Contract

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have come to terms on an entry-level deal with one of their most recent draft picks. The team has announced a three-year entry-level contract with forward Ty Voit, a fifth-round pick in the 2021 NHL Draft. PuckPedia reports that the deal carries an $835K AAV.

Voit, 18, is an example of a player whose draft stock likely fell too far as a result of a missed 2020-21 season. An OHL product who did not play last year due to the league’s COVID-19 shutdown, opinions varied greatly on Voit ahead of the draft, with some believing he could go as high as the second round and other believing a third or fourth round grade was more likely, but falling to Toronto in the fifth round was a surprise.

A puck possession specialist with strong skating and stick skills, Voit recorded 28 points in 49 games in his first OHL season and it should have been expected that this production would improve once Voit had the chance to take on a top-six role with the Sarnia Sting. That is exactly what has happened this year, as Voit has already surpassed his first season with 29 points in 24 games. The Maple Leafs see the upside in the young forward and have moved forward with getting him under contract.

Toronto Maple Leafs Place Five In COVID Protocol

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The Toronto Maple Leafs tweeted today that defensemen T.J. Brodie and Travis Dermott, goalie Jack Campbell, head coach Sheldon Keefe, and assistant coach Spencer Carbery entered the league’s COVID-19 protocol.

The team now has nine players on the list. Captain John Tavares, as well as Alexander Kerfoot, Wayne Simmonds, and Jason Spezza, were added earlier in the week.

After seeing a back-to-back set of games against Vancouver and Seattle postponed this weekend, the team was originally scheduled to return to play on Thursday, December 23 against St. Louis. Understandably, that’s now in jeopardy as their list of COVID cases expands.

Matters are made worse in the organization due to a COVID outbreak on their AHL team. The Toronto Marlies have over 10 cases and are officially considered an outbreak, severely limiting any possible recalls.

If their game against St. Louis is postponed, Toronto will return to action on December 27 against Columbus.

Maple Leafs Place Wayne Simmonds And Jason Spezza In COVID Protocol

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The Maple Leafs will be without two more veterans for their game in Vancouver tonight as the team announced (Twitter link) that winger Wayne Simmonds and center Jason Spezza have been placed in COVID protocol.  They join center John Tavares and forward Alexander Kerfoot who were also placed there on Friday.

Simmonds has had a limited role this season but has been a bit more productive, notching four goals and six assists in 29 games despite averaging over 10 minutes a game.  Meanwhile, Spezza has put up similar numbers, collecting seven goals and four helpers in 26 contests.  He was set to make his return after the final two games of his suspension were overturned yesterday but now that will be on hold.  If subsequent testing also results in positive tests, the veterans will be out for at least 10 days.

Taking their place on the roster are forward Alex Steeves and defenseman Carl Dahlstrom who were both recalled from AHL Toronto.  Steeves got into three games with the Maple Leafs earlier this month after a strong start with the Marlies that has him averaging a point per game while Dahlstrom had been up with them briefly earlier this week before being sent back down on Tuesday.  With Mitch Marner currently on LTIR, Toronto has the short-term cap space to carry a full roster, a luxury that won’t be available to them when everyone is healthy.

John Tavares, Alexander Kerfoot Placed In COVID Protocol

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The Toronto Maple Leafs had yet to be severely impacted by the spread of COVID around the league, but that changed today. John Tavares and Alexander Kerfoot have been placed in the COVID protocol, while the team has canceled practice for precautionary reasons. All players and traveling staff will undergo further testing today.

Notably, both players took part in Tuesday’s game against the Edmonton Oilers, a team dealing with their own outbreak after a cluster of games with the Calgary Flames, Boston Bruins, and Carolina Hurricanes last weekend. Toronto was set to take on the Flames last night before Calgary’s season was put on hold, and are scheduled to play against the Vancouver Canucks tomorrow.

If the positive tests are limited at two, the Maple Leafs will likely continue to move forward with their schedule. The team received Jason Spezza back as an eligible replacement after his suspension was reduced today, and is carrying an extra forward already. The team has one more game on the road trip–in Seattle on Sunday–before returning home for one afternoon match before the Christmas break. If Tavares and Kerfoot have tested positive and are experiencing any symptoms, they’ll miss all of those games.

Bettman Reduces Spezza Suspension To Four Games

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The appeal has been successful for Jason Spezza of the Toronto Maple Leafs, as his six-game suspension has been reduced to four. This was a decision made by commissioner Gary Bettman; had he maintained the full suspension, Spezza could have then appealed to a neutral arbitrator. With the reduction, Spezza is now eligible to play against Vancouver tomorrow night.

In the full nine-page ruling, Bettman include that though it was a clearly suspendable play, Spezza has an:

…admirable record of clean play over a nineteen season, 1,300 game career…this record support’s Mr. Spezza’s reputation for clean play and that he has never received a warning or counseling from [the Department of Player Safety] about conduct coming close to the line; and leads me to give Mr. Spezza the benefit of the doubt in terms of his intention.

The suspension has been upheld, meaning that it will go on Spezza’s record moving forward and be considered in any other supplementary discipline. Neal Pionk, the player involved, did suffer an injury on the play but missed just three games. Spezza can re-enter the Maple Leafs’ lineup immediately.

Roster Notes: Lehkonen, Korpisalo, Maple Leafs

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As the Montreal Canadiens continue to falter in 2021-22, now last in the Eastern Conference and leading the league in goals allowed, a fire sale seems imminent for the franchise. As pundits across North America discuss who could be moving on from the Habs, a story has emerged from TVA’s Renaud Lavoie about one potential candidate who was nearly moved last season. Lavoie reported on their air on Saturday that the Canadiens and St. Louis Blues had a deal in place for forward Artturi Lehkonen at the deadline, which would have seen Sammy Blais go the other way. However, a condition of the deal was an extension for Lehkonen, then an impending restricted free agent, and the restricted free agent refused to agree to a new contract with the Blues, nixing the trade. The 26-year-old ended up re-signing for just one year with Montreal this summer and will be an RFA once more this off-season. However, it seems more and more unlikely that he will be negotiating with the Habs once again, as Lehkonen’s scoring is up from last season, making him an attractive trade piece for the Canadiens. Although Blais is now a member of the New York Rangers, the Blues could still be a suitor for Lehkonen with a different offer if they can make the cap implications work. The forward could be seen as a rental or as a long-term investment which should provide a deep pool of potential trade partners for the new front office administration in Montreal.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets could be forced to make a significant roster move later this season, but hopefully it does not come to that. The Finnish government released a list of names this week that included professional athletes who had not completed their required military service. All male citizens of Finland are conscripted to serve a certain number of days – 165, 255 or 347 days depending on the assignment – of military service and must meet this requirement between the ages of 18 and 28. Blue Jackets goaltender Joonas Korpisalo turns 28 this spring and has yet to complete any of his required service. Korpisalo tells The Athletic’s Aaron Portzline that he regrets putting it off, but he has had his in-season obligations every year since he was 18 and never wanted to disrupt his off-season training schedule in the summers. The Finnish government stated that those athletes who had not yet met this civic duty would be enlisted to begin service on April 11, 2022. Well, Columbus’ regular season does not end until April 29 and the team currently sits just one spot outside of playoff position as well. Korpisalo’s response to the possibility of missing time because of conscription: “If they want to come get me, come get me. I’m not leaving during my season.” Hopefully it doesn’t reach that point for Korpisalo and the Jackets, but it does seem like the goaltender at least plans to serve his time this summer. He has little choice as the Finnish government will not renew his passport if he does not complete his required service before turning 29, making it impossible for him to travel to North America let alone play in the NHL. This is especially concerning for Korpisalo this summer, when he will be an unrestricted free agent. While the veteran keeper expects that a “special arrangement” will be made that allows him to complete his current season, serve his time in the off-season, and be ready for next season, wherever that may be, the last-minute nature of the situation could still prove problematic. This likely isn’t the last we have heard about Korpisalo’s military requirements and its impact on his playing career.
  • Ilya Mikheyev appears to be getting closer to a return to the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup. The Hockey News’ David Alter reports that both Mikheyev and defenseman Travis Dermott will be evaluated on Tuesday for a potential return against the Edmonton Oilers. Getting the skilled forward back from Long-Term Injured Reserve will be a nice boost for the Leafs, but it of course raises questions as well. Toronto is currently $4.9MM over the salary cap, but this is permissible given the LTIR usage afforded by Mikheyev and Mitch Marner. However, once Marner is healthy as well, a roster crunch will set in for the Leafs if no more extended injuries have arisen. Even if no one is on injured reserve at the time and the likes of Alex Steeves and Kyle Clifford have likely been bumped from the roster to accommodate the additions up front of Mikheyev and Marner, the team will still be over the salary cap. If the Leafs want to carry the full 23 skaters, they will need to save room for at least a minimum $750K contract too. This could result in a notable player being traded or waived in order to become cap compliant. For a number of bottom-six forwards, the return of Mikheyev is a warning and they have until Marner returns to prove that they belong on the team or else could be the one forced out of town.

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