Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Maple Leafs Rumors

Snapshots: Leafs Camp, Bruins Camp, Blues

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Still somewhat in the dead of the offseason, development camps are starting up for the majority of teams across the league. The pace of news is sure to increase in the coming days as these camps get underway, especially with training camps just around the corner as well. For now, the focus turns to the Toronto Maple Leafs, who had a variety of absences today from their camp. Defenders Joseph Duszak and Riley McCourt were both absent with injuries, The Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby reports. Duszak, who’s on an NHL contract and has impressed in back-to-back seasons with the Toronto Marlies, was absent with a foot injury. This development camp and ensuing training camp will be important for him, giving Duszak a chance to show that he can be a legitimate call-up option for the team in case of injury. McCourt is on an AHL contract and is entering his second season of professional hockey after tallying one assist in eight games with the Marlies last year. Hornby also mentions the omission of Colby Saganiuk from camp, as he was held out as a precaution due to illness. Saganiuk is attending the camp on an invite basis, as the 18-year-old will be returning to the OHL’s Erie Otters next year.

Elsewhere across the NHL:

  • The Boston Bruins’ development camp roster was released, and via The Boston Globe’s Matt Porter, it includes 2021 first-round draft choice Fabian Lysell. After signing his entry-level contract earlier this offseason, Lysell will get his first North American action with the Bruins’ development camp. While it’s an extreme longshot for him to make the team after just three points in 26 SHL games last season, he’ll get experience playing with other potential future Bruins roster players such as Oskar Steen, Jack Ahcan, and others.
  • Just days after the home Minnesota Wild released theirs, the St. Louis Blues dropped their Winter Classic uniforms on Friday night. Featuring a vintage, off-white look reminiscent of the team’s inaugural jersey set, the team opted for a much more simplistic look than their opponent. The jerseys will obviously be worn on New Year’s Day at Minneapolis’ Target Field, but could be worn throughout the season as alternates as other teams have opted to in the past.

Hayley Wickenheiser Leads Toronto Development Camp

at CDT | by 5 Comments

  • Toronto Maple Leafs development camp has a bit of a different feel this season and that’s in part due to the leadership. Hayley Wickenheiser was promoted to senior director of player development earlier this year and she’s running the camp, telling TSN’s Kristen Shilton the group has decided to “create a competitive environment versus a teaching environment.” A member of the Hockey Hall of Fame, it’s actually Dr. Hayley Wickenheiser now; she’s also currently doing an emergency room rotation at a Toronto hospital.

Toronto’s Ilya Mikheyev Asked For Trade Following 2020-21

at CDT | by 3 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs were forced to say goodbye to Zach Hyman this offseason when he signed a massive seven-year, $38.5MM deal. With Hyman being the team’s only legitimate top-six left-winger, you would guess that someone like Ilya Mikheyev would be excited about the opportunity that should be there in 2021-22. Perhaps not, as Mikheyev requested a trade at the end of this season according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet.

With Hyman’s departure though, and bargain bin replacements signed in the offseason, it makes sense why the Maple Leafs don’t want to grant Mikheyev’s request. According to Friedman, the organization has let him know they still consider him a big part of the team, even after a year that saw his average ice time drop to just 14:13. Just 12:28 of that was at even-strength, and Mikheyev ended up with 17 points in 54 games.

Heading into his final season before unrestricted free agency, it’s easy to see why Mikheyev might want a different opportunity. The 26-year-old was an undrafted free agent signing out of the KHL and unless he shows that he’s closer to the player that scored 23 points in 39 games as a rookie, it could be difficult to secure a deal worth more than the $2.19MM he’ll earn this season. The fact that fellow KHL signing Alexander Barabanov–who couldn’t even crack the Maple Leafs lineup on a regular basis–found such immediate success with the San Jose Sharks, could be a shining example of that greener grass.

Once again though, the Maple Leafs depth chart on the left side is not very imposing at the time being. The team signed Nick Ritchie and Michael Bunting, who both may get looks in the top-six, but neither are locks to establish themselves beside Auston Matthews and John Tavares. There could be a real opportunity for Mikheyev this season with Hyman (and Joe Thornton, who played a good chunk of the season on the first line) out of the picture, if he’s willing to take the organization at their word and buy-in.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports images

Salary Cap Deep Dive: Toronto Maple Leafs

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Navigating the salary cap is one of the more important tasks for any GM.  Teams that can avoid total cap chaos by walking the tightrope of inking players to deals that match their value (or compensate for future value without breaking the bank) remain successful.  Those that don’t see struggles and front office changes.

PHR will look at every NHL team and give a thorough look at their cap situation heading into the 2021-22 season.  This will focus more on players who are regulars on the roster versus those who may find themselves shuttling between the AHL and NHL.  All cap figures are courtesy of CapFriendly.

Toronto Maple Leafs

Current Cap Hit: $82,894,783 (over the $81.5MM Upper Limit)

Entry-Level Contracts

D Timothy Liljegren ($863K in 2021-22)
D Rasmus Sandin ($894K in 2021-22)

Potential Bonuses
Liljegren: $400K

Sandin saw limited action with Toronto last season but suited up in five of their seven playoff games and with the departure of Zach Bogosian, a top-six spot should be his for the taking in training camp.  While he has shown offensive upside at the lower levels, it hasn’t yet materialized in the NHL and barring a big year on that front, he’s someone that will likely need to sign a cheap one-year deal to preserve as much cap flexibility for Toronto as possible.  Liljegren also figures to get a look in training camp and should be one of the first recalls otherwise.  He’s also a candidate for a one-year deal after the season, likely for the league minimum either on a one-way contract or with a higher AHL salary.

One Year Remaining, Non-Entry-Level

F Adam Brooks ($725K, RFA)
G Jack Campbell ($1.65MM, UFA)
F Pierre Engvall ($1.25MM, RFA)
F Kurtis Gabriel ($750K, UFA)
F Ondrej Kase ($1.25MM, RFA)
F Ilya Mikheyev ($1.645MM, UFA)
D Morgan Rielly ($5MM, UFA)
F Jason Spezza ($750K, UFA)

Mikheyev has shown some flashes of being a quality secondary scorer but consistency has been an issue so far.  With the Maple Leafs likely wanting to funnel some money towards a pair of notable UFAs in this list, it’s possible that he becomes a casualty with an eye on someone making less money taking his spot.  Engvall, who was in and out of the lineup last season, also falls under that category.  Kase was a very interesting signing this summer – he’s talented enough to be a top-six player but concussions have limited him lately.  If he stays healthy for the full season, he should provide a strong return on this deal.  Spezza should again provide some surplus value from the fourth line and has passed up chances to make more on the open market to play at home.  Gabriel will have a limited role when he’s in the lineup and it wouldn’t be surprising to see them try to sneak him through waivers for cap flexibility purposes; the same can be said for Brooks who has done well in limited duty but Toronto can’t afford to carry a 23-player roster.  These last three roster spots will need to be filled by minimum-salaried players for the foreseeable future.

Rielly has been Toronto’s top defenseman over the past several years and his contract has proven to be quite the bargain over that span.  That is going to change for 2022-23.  Even though he is coming off a quieter year offensively and likely isn’t going to be a 72-point player moving forward like he was in 2018-19, he’s a top-pairing player for the Maple Leafs and would be for many other teams as well.  He’ll hit the market at 28 where he can command a max-term contract and will have the offensive numbers to land a sizable raise.  Something over $7MM seems likely at this point and a big year could make that price tag even higher.

As for Campbell, he has been everything Toronto could have hoped for.  He came in and stabilized the backup position in 2020 and then played quite well down the stretch, earning the number one job for the playoffs where he only allowed 13 goals in their seven-game series loss to Montreal.  Even so, he still doesn’t have 100 career NHL appearances.  That will limit his earnings ceiling unless he can establish himself as a 50-game goalie or more which is going to be hard to do.  He still should be able to double his current price tag based on recent comparables but starter money may be a stretch.

Two Years Remaining

F Joey Anderson ($750K, RFA)
F Michael Bunting ($950K, UFA)
D Travis Dermott ($1.5MM, RFA)
D Justin Holl ($2MM, UFA)
F David Kampf ($1.5MM, UFA)
F Alexander Kerfoot ($3.5MM, UFA)
F Nick Ritchie ($2.5MM, UFA)
F Wayne Simmonds ($900K, UFA)

Kerfoot has been involved in trade speculation for a while now being the highest-paid forward outside of their top-paid pieces.  However, his ability to play in all situations has made him valuable enough that they’ve made other moves instead and kept him on the roster.  He doesn’t produce enough to line himself up for a big raise two years from now but the fact he can play center will give him a strong market where he could come close to matching his current AAV.  Ritchie was non-tendered by Boston and landed quickly with the Maple Leafs.  He has shown the ability to play in the top-six, albeit inconsistently.  If he can be that type of player more frequently, he’s young enough to command a significant raise the next time he hits the open market.  Kampf was another non-tender this summer, this time by Chicago and will be a key checker for Toronto.  Scoring has been a challenge for him which limits his earnings upside considerably.  Bunting used a strong second half to land a one-way deal and he’ll have a chance to outperform that if he lands a spot in their top nine.  Simmonds took a pay cut to stick around and was rewarded with a no-trade clause in return.  Anderson hasn’t played much with Toronto but he’s now waiver-eligible and would be at risk at being claimed.  That could keep him on the roster as a result.

Holl has been a nice success story for the Maple Leafs.  After not really being able to crack the lineup under former coach Mike Babcock, he has since established himself as a quality second pair defender at a price tag that is well below market value for someone in the top four.  He’ll be in line for a fairly significant raise two years from now.  Dermott has come along a little slower than they may have hoped but he’s a regular on their third pairing and should get an opportunity to play a bit more than the 13 minutes a game from last season.  If that happens, they’ll get good value on his deal.  Dermott has one more crack at arbitration eligibility and will be owed a $1.75MM qualifying offer.

Three Years Remaining

D T.J. Brodie ($5MM, UFA)
F Auston Matthews ($11.034MM, UFA)
G Petr Mrazek ($3.8MM, UFA)
D Jake Muzzin ($5.625MM, UFA)
F William Nylander ($6.962MM, UFA)

Matthews led the league in goals last season and it’s only a matter of time before he notches 50 in a single season.  At first glance, it may seem like someone making that much could be in line for a raise on his next deal but as an elite scorer playing a premium position (center) and the fact he’ll hit the open market at 26, the odds are pretty high that he’ll command a bigger contract next time around.  The same can be said for Nylander who has either reached the 60-point mark or played at that pace in four of the last five seasons.  By the time he reaches free agency, the cap will have gone up a little bit and he should be well-positioned to be one of the higher-paid wingers in free agency.

Muzzin has been an integral part of their back end since coming over in 2019 from the Kings.  He has helped form a stabilizing defensive pairing but is good enough to still contribute offensively.  He’s a high-end second pairing piece and with the way the market was for defenders this summer, it’s safe to say he’s now on a bit of a below-market deal.  Brodie has seen his production drop off the last couple of years but he’s still strong in his own end and was a good partner for Rielly last season.  The contract may be a bit high given the falloff in his offensive numbers but with the top-end offense they have, a jump in scoring can’t be ruled out.

Read more

Denis Malgin Signs In Switzerland

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Forward Denis Malgin has signed a four-year contract with the ZSC Lions of the Swiss National League, the team announced early this morning. Taking him through the 2024-25 season, the announcement means we’ve seen the last of Malgin in the NHL for a solid bit of time.

Malgin spent last year under contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs but played the entire season on loan in the Swiss league with Lausanne HC. His last NHL action came in 2019-20, splitting the season between the Florida Panthers and the Maple Leafs. Swapped between the two teams midseason in exchange for forward Mason Marchment, Malgin had 12 points in 36 games for Florida but none in eight games for Toronto down the stretch. Malgin, a fourth-round pick of Florida in 2015, enters this extended pause in his NHL career with 28 goals, 32 assists, and 60 points in 192 games, all but those last eight coming with the Panthers.

A skilled playmaker, Malgin impressed with Lausanne last season, potting 19 goals and 42 points in 45 games. He’ll look to continue that run of success as one of the best players in the league. Returning to ZSC marks a bit of a homecoming for Malgin, who played within the club’s youth and professional system from 2010 to 2016.

It’s important to note that Malgin was indeed issued a qualifying offer by Toronto at the beginning of the summer. Due to this, the Leafs will retain his NHL rights indefinitely and Malgin will remain on their reserve list. If Malgin does choose to return to the NHL in the summer of 2025, it will be with Toronto barring a trade.

Maple Leafs And Sabres Expected To Play Outdoor Game In Hamilton

at CDT | by 8 Comments

  • The Maple Leafs and Sabres are expected to play in an outdoor game in Hamilton, Ontario in March, reports Mike Harrington of The Buffalo News. The two teams were supposed to be playing an game in Buffalo in mid–March but that contest was absent from the season ticket packages from last week.  Instead, the Sabres would be the home team in what technically would be a neutral site game but with Hamilton close to Toronto geographically, the ‘visitors’ for the Heritage Classic event would likely receive the majority of the fan support.

Keith Petruzzelli Signs With AHL’s Toronto Marlies

at CDT | by 9 Comments

In a somewhat stunning turn of events, highly-touted goalie prospect Keith Petruzelli will not be playing in the NCAA nor on an NHL contract this season. The 2017 third-round pick of the Detroit Red Wings had parted ways with his rights holder, allegedly by his own choice, and was believed to be looking for a new NHL home or else returning for a fifth year at Quinnipiac University. Instead, the AHL’s Toronto Marlies have announced that they have signed Petruzzelli and to a two-year deal at that. It is quite the unexpected outcome for the decorated NCAA goaltender.

Petruzzelli, 22, is coming off of an excellent collegiate season in which he was named an ECAC first-team all-star, ECAC goalie of the year, a finalist for the Mike Richter Award as the NCAA’s best goaltender,and a finalist for the Hobey Baker Award as the NCAA’s most outstanding player. He posted a .926 save percentage and 1.89 GAA while leading the Bobcats to a conference title and NCAA Tournament appearance. This was reasonably expected to boost his value as an NHL prospect. After all, recent Richter winners include top young pro keepers like Jeremy Swayman, Cayden Primeau, and Thatcher Demko. Petruzzelli was in a unique situation as well. Having played four seasons in the NCAA, Petruzzelli could watch the Red Wings’ draft rights expire in August and sign elsewhere. However, he was also granted an additional fifth year of NCAA eligibility due to the COVID-19 pandemic that would have allowed him to return to Quinnipiac if the NHL market did not develop as he had hoped and test free agency next summer instead. When August 15 came and went, as well as a development camp appearance with his hometown Boston Bruins, and there was no contract announcement, it seemed likely that a collegiate return was likely.

Instead, the curveball result is Petruzzelli signing an AHL contract and for two years instead of one. This cannot be the result that Petruzzelli’s camp imagined if and when they did spurn Detroit. It’s difficult to imagine that Petruzzelli did not receive an NHL contract, but his representation misread the market as most others did. The talented goaltender is now locked into a low-money, minor league pact when he ideally would have been on an entry-level contract with a shot at NHL starts. Toronto is also not a great landing spot in particular. The Maple Leafs will have NHL veteran Michael Hutchinson and signed prospects Joseph Woll and Ian Scott all battling for play time with the Marlies and Petruzzelli, who the team is not as invested in, could easily fall through the cracks. This may not provide enough exposure to garner NHL offers that could relieve him of his AHL contract. It’s a strange and surprising situation for a such well-regarded prospect and will be an interesting storyline to follow in the minors this season.

John Tavares Expected To Be Ready For Training Camp

at CDT | by 3 Comments

In an interview today with NHL.com, Toronto Maple Leafs captain John Tavares says that he expects to be healthy and cleared to play for the team’s training camp, which starts in mid-September. Tavares missed the remainder of the season after being stretchered off the ice during Game 1 of the team’s First Round series against the Montreal Canadiens.

Tavares has been working out during the summer and steadily improving after he was cleared to return to on-ice participation last month. The team’s captain had this to say on his recent participation:

For me, it was nice to just kind of get back out and work on some things I wanted to work on, come off the injury and be on the ice a lot, get a good feel for my game and build from there with a good group of guys.

It’s reassuring to see a stable recovery path from Tavares, especially considering the apparent severity of the play on which he was injured. His leadership and performance will be perhaps more crucial than ever to Toronto’s success this season after a retooled roster leaves the team’s offense with some question marks. Add in the health concerns surrounding Auston Matthews, who’ll miss the start of camp but is expected to be ready for the season opener on October 13th, and Tavares’ position on the team this season is of high importance to the team’s record.

Tavares likely enters the 2021-22 campaign working with some new linemates. While he’ll still likely be flanked by William Nylander on the right side, there’s a long list of names that’ll battle for the second line left-wing spot including Nick Ritchie, Michael Bunting, Alexander Kerfoot, and Ilya Mikheyev. Tavares and Nylander will be relied upon heavily to provide secondary scoring behind the duo of Matthews and Mitch Marner up front, and the team hopes they can catch lightning in a bottle with a new linemate.

New York Rangers To Hire Ryan Martin

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Aug 25: The Rangers have officially announced the hiring of Martin, naming him to the roles previously reported.

Aug 13: The New York Rangers have added to the front office, hiring Ryan Martin as assistant general manager according to Larry Brooks of the New York Post. Martin will also serve as general manager of the Hartford Wolf Pack, the role previously held by Chris Drury before he was promoted in the Rangers organization.

It’s a big change for Martin, who has worked in the Detroit Red Wings front office for more than 15 years, including more than a decade as the team’s assistant GM. He also served as the GM of the Grand Rapids Griffins since 2013, winning the Calder Cup in 2017. Martin is also part of the staff for the U.S. World Junior program, which resulted in a gold medal at this year’s tournament.

The Rangers front office group is finally starting to take shape under Drury, who also hired John Lilley away from the Toronto Maple Leafs earlier this month as director of player personnel and amateur scouting. The team underwent a drastic management dismissal earlier this year after some embarrassing losses, and has made it very clear that the team will undergo stylistic changes for the 2021-22 season. Players like Barclay Goodrow, Ryan Reaves, Patrik Nemeth, Jarred Tinordi and Sammy Blais have been brought in to give the team some significant size and physicality.

Martin’s history with contract negotiation and salary cap management will be key for the Rangers over the next few years, as they enter contract talks with some of their key players. Norris winner Adam Fox has just one year left on his entry-level deal, while top center Mika Zibanejad is scheduled for unrestricted free agency next summer. With those and many other contract talks coming up, cap concerns could become very pressing for the Rangers in short order.

Early Extension Unlikely For Jack Campbell; Toronto Wanted Nick Foligno Back In A Limited Role

at CDT | by 1 Comment

Toronto goaltender Jack Campbell is now in the final year of his contract and will be an unrestricted free agent next summer but James Mirtle of The Athletic cautions (subscription link) that an extension at this point is unlikely.  Despite taking over as the starter for the Maple Leafs down the stretch and in the playoffs, the 29-year-old still has less than 100 career NHL appearances under his belt (including the postseason) which makes finding the right price tag a little more difficult than usual.  Instead, the smarter play for both sides may be to wait until closer to midseason to see if he’s able to beat out newcomer Petr Mrazek for the 1A role to get a better sense of whether his strong play late last season is a sign of things to come or not.  Even if he doesn’t accomplish that, he’s still in line for a decent-sized raise on his current $1.65MM AAV.

  • Still with the Maple Leafs, they showed interest in re-signing winger Nick Foligno this summer but in a much more limited role than he wanted, notes Brian Hedger of the Columbus Dispatch. Toronto viewed Foligno as a veteran mentor with an emphasis on helping off the ice while the Bruins, who ultimately signed the 33-year-old, had a bigger role in mind for him.  Foligno is coming off a quiet year with just 20 points in 49 games but had three straight years of more than 30 points before that and if he lands a top-six role, he could get back to that level of production.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top