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Auston Matthews To Return For Maple Leafs

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The Toronto Maple Leafs offense hasn’t been quite as explosive as years past through the first few games, with just seven goals for through three contests. That could change pretty quickly as Auston Matthews is expected to play tomorrow night against the New York Rangers.

It will be the first time the Maple Leafs play a non-Canadian team in more than a year, a perfect time for their superstar center to return. Matthews missed the first three games as he recovered from offseason wrist surgery, but is now back to full health and ready to go.

Matthews, the reigning Rocket Richard Trophy winner, has 199 goals through his first 334 games in the NHL and led the league with 12 game-winning tallies in 2020-21. He has also now registered more than a point-per-game in each of the last four seasons, though his assist total fell to just 25, a career-low, in 52 games last season.

Mikko Lehtonen Signs Long-Term Contract In KHL

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The brief experiment of KHL stud defenseman Mikko Lehtonen plying his trade in North America is over, perhaps for good. TSN’s Chris Johnston reports that Lehtonen has signed a four-year deal with SKA St. Petersburg. At 27 years old, this could mark the end of his NHL career. The move comes less than a week after his contract with the Columbus Blue Jackets was terminated.

Lehtonen’s time in North America was tumultuous, to say the least. Lehtonen signed with the Toronto Maple Leafs on a one-year deal in May 2020. Despite the future contract being signed in-season, implying that Lehtonen was a player that Toronto had been closely following and had prioritized, his time with the Leafs was short-lived. Lehtonen was traded to Columbus in March after playing in just nine games. He played much more frequently for the Blue Jackets down the stretch, logging 17 games. Yet, he produced the same three points in Columbus as he did in Toronto, totaling zero goals, six points, and a -2 rating to show for his first year. Unsurprisingly, Lehtonen failed to crack the Columbus roster in training camp this season. However, he refused to report to the AHL’s Cleveland Monsters, leading to a pass through unconditional waivers and a contract termination.

Though some players have contracts terminated and are still able to find another landing spot in the NHL, such as Sami Niku last month, it should come as no surprise that Lehtonen has instead opted to return to Russia. The KHL’s Defenseman of the Year in 2019-20, Lehtonen recorded 17 goals and 49 points in 60 games for Jokerit. He was then a point-per-game player in 17 games with the club before reporting to Toronto last year. A player who has previously produced at a high level in Sweden and his native Finland, Lehtonen simply seems built for the European game. Joining a powerhouse like SKA, Lehtonen is returning to a more comfortable style of play and skill level and will have the surrounding talent to produce and chase a Gagarin Cup every year. Once his current deal is over in 2025, it is doubtful that a then-31-year-old Lehtonen will try to return to the NHL.

Alex Bishop To Serve As Backup Goalie Tonight, Justin Holl Unavailable

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  • The Maple Leafs have signed goaltender Alex Bishop to a one-day amateur tryout deal, David Alter of The Hockey News is among those reporting. The move is necessary with Petr Mrazek out with a groin injury but Toronto can’t make the money work to recall another goalie from the minors.  The 24-year-old plays at the USports Level with the University of Toronto.  Once they play tonight’s game, they’ll be given approval for an emergency (cap-exempt) recall.  Toronto can’t send defenseman Timothy Liljegren down to make room for netminder Michael Hutchinson as he’s needed with blueliner Justin Holl unavailable due to a non-COVID-related illness; Toronto’s electing to play down a backup goalie over only dressing five defensemen.

Petr Mrazek's Groin Injury Likely To Force Him To Miss Time

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  • Given the fact that groin injuries can be longer-term than expected, Chris Johnston of the Toronto Star suggested in a recent appearance on TSN 1050 (audio link) that it’s unlikely that Maple Leafs goaltender Petr Mrazek will return in the near future. He left Thursday’s game against Ottawa due to the injury.  It sounds likely that a stint on IR is forthcoming which means they will need to call a goalie up from the minors, likely veteran Michael Hutchinson.

Ilya Mikheyev Out Eight Weeks With Broken Thumb

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Oct 13: Mikheyev underwent successful surgery this morning, according to Keefe.

Oct 11: The Toronto Maple Leafs lost a key roster member at the very end of training camp, as Ilya Mikheyev went down with a hand injury in the final preseason game. Today, Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters including Kristen Shilton of TSN that Mikheyev will require surgery for a broken thumb and is expected to miss a minimum of eight weeks. Keefe also explained that Auston Matthews, who is working his way back from wrist surgery, will not be available to the team this week.

It was a brutal blow for Mikheyev, who looked like he was going to get a chance to run on the team’s second line with John Tavares and William Nylander to open the season. After a trade request in the offseason because of a perceived lack of opportunity, it was a perfect spot for the pending UFA to rack up some point totals as a top-six forward. Instead, he’ll now be on the shelf once again, opening the door for someone else to take his spot full-time.

The Maple Leafs have plenty of forwards, but the left side was actually already their weakest position. Mikheyev’s injury means that Michael Bunting could slide into the top-six, or Alexander Kerfoot could move out of a center spot and play with the second unit. That’s all assuming a healthy lineup though, one that the Maple Leafs won’t see until Matthews returns at some point in the near future.

Barre-Boulet, Brooks, Brown Claimed Off Waivers

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Three players were claimed off waivers today, just before opening night rosters are submitted. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Seattle Kraken claimed Alex Barre-Boulet from the Tampa Bay Lightning, the Montreal Canadiens claimed Adam Brooks from the Toronto Maple Leafs and the Philadelphia Flyers claimed Patrick Brown from the Vegas Golden Knights. The Washington Capitals also re-claimed Axel Jonsson-Fjallby from the Buffalo Sabres and assuming they were the only team to put in a claim, can now send him directly to the minor leagues. The other 39 players placed on waivers yesterday have cleared.

Barre-Boulet seemed the likeliest player to be claimed among yesterday’s group, as the 24-year-old has not only shown extremely well at the minor league level, but also is signed at league minimum for the next three seasons. The former Lightning prospect signed a three-year deal in July that pays him $750K at the NHL level this year and next, and $775K in 2023-24 when the minimum increases. That alone makes him valuable and he’ll now get a chance to show exactly what he can do in Seattle, rather than be blocked by countless talented teammates in Tampa Bay.

Signed as an undrafted free agent in 2018, Barre-Boulet was a superstar in the QMJHL but lacks the size of a traditional NHL player. That certainly hasn’t held him back in the AHL, as he has posted 136 points in 144 games for the Syracuse Crunch since turning pro. That includes eight goals in just ten games last season, which helped elevate him to the NHL level where he played in 15 games for the Lightning. Though he is by no means a lock to produce for the Kraken, it was an easy choice to add his talent to the organization when it came available.

Brooks too seemed like an inevitable loss for the Maple Leafs when they decided to place him on waivers instead of Michael Amadio yesterday. Toronto will lose their depth forward to the rival Canadiens and could see him on the other side of the ice quickly. Montreal will travel to Toronto on Wednesday for their season opener, though it’s not clear if Brooks will step directly into the lineup. The 25-year-old has always seemed to play well when given the chance–that just hasn’t been very often. He has played just 18 regular season games for the Maple Leafs thus far, registering eight points.

There seems to be something of a trend in Philadelphia, where Brown will be the latest Boston College alumni to join the roster. He played college hockey with both Kevin Hayes and Cam Atkinson, winning the national championship in 2012 with the former. He adds plenty of pro experience but not a lot at the NHL level, given he’s only suited up for 33 regular season games. Incredibly, that total has almost been matched by his postseason experience, where he has played in 22 games the last three seasons with the Carolina Hurricanes and Golden Knights.

Josh Ho-Sang Signs AHL Deal With Toronto Marlies

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The Toronto Marlies signed forward Josh Ho-Sang to an AHL contract Tuesday night, per NHL insider Chris Johnston. The move comes after the Toronto Maple Leafs released Ho-Sang from his professional tryout contract.

Ho-Sang joined the Leafs this offseason on a PTO after he was left unqualified by the New York Islanders. Ho-Sang had been in the Islanders organization since they drafted him 28th overall in 2014.

The 25-year-old forward spent last season on loan in Europe. In nine games in the Swedish Hockey League, Ho-Sang scored two goals and one assist for three points. He split time between Orebro HK and Linkoping HC.

Ho-Sang has gotten into 53 NHL contests so far in his career, all with the Islanders. He hasn’t played an NHL game since 2018-19, spending his time in the AHL and SHL since then.

A skilled playmaker, Ho-Sang hopes to revitalize his career in the Maple Leafs’ organization. He had a strong camp, notching multiple points in the preseason. He’ll now need to excel on the Marlies’ roster before proving he can make an impact again at the NHL level.

With Ho-Sang signing an AHL deal, he does not need to be placed on waivers to be assigned to the Marlies. Toronto can sign him to an NHL contract and bring him up to the Maple Leafs at any time, however, they will need to waive him in order to send him back to the AHL if they wish.

Auston Matthews Rejoins Practice

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have big expectations once again this season as they enter the 2021-22 campaign in a win-now mode. The team has already stripped out most of their 2022 draft capital, meaning they can’t afford to go down early this time around.

One of the keys to their potential success, Auston Matthews, underwent wrist surgery this offseason after attempting to rehabilitate the injury. That surgery could have potentially forced Matthews to miss the early part of the season, but he is making strong progress and rejoined the team for nearly an entire practice according to Jonas Siegal of The Athletic. The Maple Leafs kick off their season in ten days.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Braeden Kressler To Entry-Level Contract

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed 18-year-old center Braeden Kressler to a three-year entry-level contract, announced by agent Dan Milstein on Twitter. Kressler was eligible for the 2021 NHL Draft but was not selected. PuckPedia reports the structure of the $835,000 cap hit deal as follows:

2021-22: $750,000 salary, $75,000 SB, $80,000 minors salary
2022-23: $750,000 salary, $75,000 SB, $80,000 minors salary
2023-24: $775,000 salary, $80,000 SB, $80,000 minors salary

Kressler attended Toronto’s training camp as an undrafted free agent, playing his way into an entry-level contract. It’s the second undrafted free agent signing we’ve seen from the 2021 class, following up Philadelphia’s signing of Jon-Randall Avon.

One of the players seriously affected by the lost 2020-21 season in the OHL, Kressler will be returning to the Flint Firebirds next season as the first year of his entry-level contract will slide, in all likelihood. A prototypical two-way center, Kressler tallied 18 points in 46 games as a rookie for Flint in 2019-20. He’s set to resume a much more important role in Flint this year, meaning his point totals will likely see a sharp uptick.

The 2003-born forward is likely a few seasons away from playing professional hockey for the Leafs, but it’s a no-risk move that carries potential upside years down the line for this Toronto organization.

Maple Leafs Agree To Two-Year Extension With Sheldon Keefe

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Teams generally don’t like when their coaches are in the final year of their contracts and the Maple Leafs were set to be in that situation with Sheldon Keefe.  However, that won’t be the case anymore as Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic reports (Twitter link) that Toronto has inked their bench boss to a two-year contract extension that runs through the 2023-24 season.

The 41-year-old was promoted to Toronto’s head coaching role back in 2019 following the firing of Mike Babcock (whose contract runs through 2022-23) but hasn’t yet had a full 82-game season with the Maple Leafs and is in the middle of his first regular training camp with the team.

Toronto has had plenty of regular season success with Keefe at the helm with the team posting a .660 point percentage with young stars like Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner immediately seeing their ice time and production improve.  However, that hasn’t materialized into playoff success as they were upset in the bubble in 2020 by Columbus in the play-in series and last spring by Montreal in the opening round of the postseason.

Accordingly, this short-term pact makes sense from Toronto’s perspective.  With Keefe barely having 100 games under his belt behind the bench plus their early ousters, he wasn’t in a position to command a lucrative long-term deal but their regular season success has shown enough to suggest he’s worth keeping around.  This contract is a commitment from GM Kyle Dubas to stick with the process – one Dubas made this summer by not significantly shaking up the core – but is short enough that it shouldn’t be an impediment if it’s decided that a change has to be made.

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