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Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Zach Bogosian

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought another defender into the fold, this time signing Stanley Cup champion Zach Bogosian to a one-year, $1MM contract.

After adding T.J. Brodie yesterday on a four-year, $20MM contract, the Maple Leafs had changed the makeup of their defense but also pushed themselves over the salary cap ceiling. Today’s move of Andreas Johnsson changed that, meaning they can bring in a little more experience with Bogosian.

The 30-year-old defenseman had quite the rollercoaster 2019-20, going from a contract termination with the Buffalo Sabres in late February to lifting the Stanley Cup with the Tampa Bay Lightning in late September. The Sabres were able to terminate the veteran’s contract after he failed to report to the Rochester Americans of the AHL, allowing him to sign a new deal with Tampa Bay for a playoff run.

A playoff run that Bogosian had been searching for his entire career. The third-overall pick in 2008, Bogosian had never played in a single postseason game, missing the playoffs regularly with the Atlanta Thrashers/Winnipeg Jets and then Sabres. He managed to carve out a role on a deep Tampa team and averaged almost 18 minutes a game in the playoffs. Of course, that doesn’t include the several scratches he faced in the finals, where he suited up only twice against Dallas.

Even though he does possess good size, standing 6’3″ and weighing over 220-lbs, Bogosian isn’t actually the most physical defender on the ice. He will engage in front of the net and certainly doesn’t shy away from contact, but he was actually known as a puck-mover early in his career and can still contribute a little offensively.

That doesn’t necessarily mean he has a place in Toronto’s top-six right away, however. The Maple Leafs have eight NHL options including unsigned restricted free agent Travis Dermott, KHL import Mikko Lehtonen and top prospect Rasmus Sandin, meaning there may be another move in the coming days to free up a little more space.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Andreas Johnsson Traded To New Jersey Devils

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have moved out some money after yesterday’s spending spree, trading Andreas Johnsson to the New Jersey Devils. The Maple Leafs will get Joey Anderson in return. No other pieces are involved, and the Maple Leafs have not retained any of Johnsson’s cap hit.

After bringing in Wayne Simmonds and T.J. Brodie for a combined cap hit of $6.5MM, the Maple Leafs needed to move out some money from the forward group. Given they weren’t expected to send any of their “big four” packing, a trade of Johnsson should come as no surprise. It also follows the trade of Kasperi Kapanen earlier this summer, meaning the Toronto third line is going to look quite a bit different in 2020-21.

Johnsson, 25, has come a long way since being the 202nd overall pick in 2013. The Swedish forward made his NHL debut in 2018 for the Maple Leafs and earned a full-time roster spot the next season, scoring 20 goals and 43 points as a rookie. That rookie campaign was followed by a four-year, $13.6MM contract in restricted free agency, which was heavily front-loaded with signing bonuses.

While the Devils are taking the entire $3.4MM cap hit for three more seasons, nearly half of the actual money in the deal has already been paid by the Maple Leafs. The Devils will be responsible for just $7.6MM over three years, making Johnsson not only an excellent addition to their forward group, but an inexpensive one too.

Devils GM Tom Fitzgerald explained exactly what he sees in his new forward:

Andreas is a hard-working, competitive forward who can slot up and down the lineup. The overall versatility of his game will be a great complement to our centermen, with his skating, quickness, and scoring touch.

It’s true, Johnsson does have a good amount of versatility in his game and has succeeded even in rather limited minutes. The reason he is even available could be because of his knee injury this season, which required surgery and limited Johnsson to just 43 games. He did work all the way back to play in the Maple Leafs final postseason match, meaning he is hopefully fully healthy for the Devils whenever the 2020-21 training camp begins.

For the Maple Leafs, this deal was certainly about clearing cap space, but they’ll also nab Anderson in the trade. The 22-year-old forward was once captain of Team USA at the World Juniors and has played in 52 games at the NHL level. Though he’s not expected to ever become a huge scoring threat, he could easily find himself in the Maple Leafs lineup this season, providing his scrappy, give-it-all playstyle in their bottom-six.

Anderson does need to be signed to a new contract as a restricted free agent, but because of his service time is not eligible to sign an offer sheet or file for salary arbitration. With only 13 points in 52 games, he will likely have to ink a very inexpensive deal and hope to prove himself in the Leafs lineup.

Darren Dreger of TSN broke the deal on Twitter

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Travis Boyd

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have added some more center depth to the organization, signing Travis Boyd to a one-year, $700K contract.

Boyd, who just turned 27 a few days ago, only became an unrestricted free agent when the Washington Capitals decided to not issue him a qualifying offer. The sixth-round pick has only played in 85 NHL games—including just 24 this season—but has actually produced fine in the opportunity given. Boyd has 31 points in those 85 games despite playing extremely limited minutes and was a positive possession player this season.

This is certainly not an impact signing for the Maple Leafs, but after inking Wayne Simmonds and T.J. Brodie yesterday they weren’t going to fit in any more impact players under the salary cap. Instead, they’ll try to improve the fourth line marginally after letting Frederik Gauthier go unqualified.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign T.J. Brodie

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have found their right-side defenseman (though he’s still not right-handed). Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that T.J. Brodie will be heading to Toronto, and follows up with the contract details. Brodie will sign a four-year deal worth a total of $20MM ($5MM AAV). Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic provides the full breakdown:

  • 2020-21: $2.5MM
  • 2021-22: $5.0MM
  • 2022-23: $5.0MM
  • 2023-24: $7.5MM

The Maple Leafs have been dying for a right-handed defenseman to pair with Morgan Rielly for years, but will have to settle for the left-shot-right-side Brodie, who has been a strong contributor in Calgary for a decade. Toronto even tried to acquire him last summer in a trade that would have seen Nazem Kadri head to the Flames, but it was nixed by a no-trade clause at the last minute. In his place, the team traded for Tyson Barrie who was a defensive nightmare in Toronto, and regularly stuck Cody Ceci alongside Rielly.

Now, with Mikko Lehtonen also in the fold, the Maple Leafs have presumably improved their defense quite a bit as they prepare for the 2020-21 season. That being said, Brodie’s addition also puts a lot of pressure on the front office to figure out the cap situation.

CapFriendly now projects the Maple Leafs to be over the $81.5MM cap ceiling by a little more than $1MM, with new contracts to come for Travis Dermott and Ilya Mikheyev. While some space can be made by removing names like Calle Rosen and Timothy Liljegren, two players who likely won’t start the year in the NHL, it is quite the tight fit if either of the team’s restricted free agents are looking at a substantial raise.

It also likely means the team is out of the Alex Pietrangelo sweepstakes, though a pursuit of the top free agent always seemed impossible given their financial situation. The Maple Leafs would have had to move out several pieces to make room for the Blues captain, though GM Kyle Dubas did confirm that he spoke with Pietrangelo’s agent today.

Back to Brodie, who is cashing in and receives a slight raise on the $4.65MM cap hit he has carried over the last five years with Calgary. In 634 regular season games he has recorded 266 points, including back-to-back 40-plus seasons in 2014-16. That offense did dry up a bit in 2019-20 when Brodie scored just 19 points in 64 games, but the Maple Leafs need more at the defensive end of the rink anyway. That’s where this signing does hit a bit of a snag, as though Brodie records very strong defensive metrics, he’s not the snarling, shutdown defender that so many Maple Leafs fans seem to be clamoring for. In fact, he has recorded just 264 hits over his ten-year career. Brodie relies much more on his elusive skating ability and quick decision making to recover and move pucks but is still prone to the odd glaring turnover.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Wayne Simmonds

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The first reported UFA signing with the market now open is one that many saw coming. The Toronto Maple Leafs have brought in Ontario native Wayne Simmonds on a one-year deal, reports TSN’s Pierre LeBrun. It is a $1.5MM AAV and a full No-Movement Clause for the veteran power forward.

Simmonds was expected to draw interest from a number of teams on the free agent market. In fact, the Montreal Canadiens are known to have been in the mix as well and reportedly offered Simmonds slightly more than what he received from Toronto. However, the draw of playing in his hometown for a legitimate contender was too much for Simmonds to pass up.

At 32 years old and in steep offensive decline, the Maple Leafs are not getting the 50-60 point Simmonds of yesteryear. However, the 6’2″ forward can still bring some offensive touch combined with a strong defensive game. Simmonds physical presence will be especially valuable to a Toronto team in need of more snarl. His experience and leadership is also invaluable for a team hoping to finally make a deep playoff run.

Denis Malgin Loaned To Lausanne HC

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have loaned Denis Malgin overseas, sending him to Lausanne HC of the Swiss NLA. Malgin signed a new one-year contract with the Maple Leafs last week and had already been training back home in Switzerland.

While he certainly doesn’t draw many headlines, the 23-year-old forward has actually quietly racked up 192 games played over the last four seasons and hasn’t suited up in the minor leagues since 2017. The Maple Leafs acquired him in exchange for Mason Marchment last season and put him in the lineup for eight games down the stretch. Undersized, Malgin is a bottom-six option for the cap-strapped Maple Leafs next season.

Malgin will be expected to return in time for NHL training camp, like some of the other Maple Leafs players currently suiting up overseas. Mikko Lehtonen, one of their prized free agent signings, is currently lighting it up in the KHL once again. When considering how the Maple Leafs will fill out their roster come next season, these inexpensive names currently playing overseas are important to remember.

Wayne Simmonds Drawing Interest

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The free agent market is approaching rapidly and without an interview period, this season things may be complete chaos when the bell strikes on Friday. Then again, perhaps not for every free agent. Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet reports that the Buffalo Sabres have given Wayne Simmonds permission to speak with other teams ahead of free agency.

That news comes on the heels of a report from Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic that both the Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens have shown interest in Simmonds. Both teams are looking for a little more physicality in their forward groups, something Simmonds can provide in spades when healthy and playing his best. He’s also an excellent net-front player on the powerplay, something both teams could use.

The question now is whether Simmonds can ever get back to that “healthy and playing his best” status. The 32-year-old scored just eight goals in 68 games this season playing for the New Jersey Devils and Buffalo Sabres, after an extremely disappointing finish to the 2018-19 season with the Nashville Predators.

Once one of the best power forwards in the entire league, Simmonds was a perennial 30-goal candidate with oodles of physicality and leadership. In 2015-16 he reached a career-high with 32 goals and 60 points, while also racking up 192 hits for the Philadelphia Flyers. That kind of player is difficult to find in today’s game, but even in the case of Simmonds himself, it may no longer exist.

For at least the Maple Leafs, Simmonds would need to take a drastic pay cut to fit into their financial structure, but perhaps he will be forced to do that anyway by a shrinking market. He earned $5MM on his one-year deal with the Devils, but will likely be looking at a much lower salary this offseason.

Frederik Andersen Expected To Start For Toronto

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have been rumored to be one of the teams considering a change in net this offseason, but when GM Kyle Dubas took the (virtual) podium today to speak with reporters he didn’t seem interested in changing his starter. As Chris Johnston of Sportsnet tweets, Dubas explained that he expects Frederik Andersen to be the team’s starting goaltender when the next season opens and has addressed the speculation directly with his netminder.

Just because Dubas says he expects Andersen to be in net, doesn’t necessarily mean that the team didn’t have talks with other teams. Specifically, discussions with the Carolina Hurricanes were widely reported to have included Andersen’s name.

In a year where there are at least a dozen strong options available, it’s hard to imagine there would be a huge market for Andersen, who has just one year remaining on his current contract. The Maple Leafs would also have needed a replacement unless they decided to give the starting role to Jack Campbell, something that seemed unlikely given his experience and the team’s desire to compete for a Stanley Cup.

That contract of Andersen’s is something to keep an eye on though as Toronto will need to make plans for the 2021-22 season at some point. Their top two goaltending prospects, Ian Scott and Joseph Woll are not ready for the NHL yet while an extension for Andersen would be pricey and risky given his age and inconsistency in the past. If the Maple Leafs have shut the door on a move this offseason, a window might have to be opened in the coming months.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Toronto Maple Leafs Re-Sign Jason Spezza

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will bring back one of their veteran depth forwards for another season, re-signing Jason Spezza. The new one-year deal will pay Spezza the league minimum of $700K, keeping him in his hometown of Toronto as he continues to try and win the Stanley Cup before his playing career comes to an end.

Spezza, 37, was in the middle of controversy before he ever actually hit the ice for the Maple Leafs after signing with them last summer. Former head coach Mike Babcock decided to make the veteran forward a healthy scratch in the team’s season-opening game against the Ottawa Senators, a team that Spezza happened to have played the majority of his career for. That made Maple Leafs fans, media members, and former players irate, ultimately being one of the mistakes some pointed at when Babcock was fired just over a month later.

With that behind him, Spezza actually did fare quite well in his first season in Toronto. Though he ended with just nine goals and 25 points, that came in 580 games while seeing fewer than 11 minutes of ice time per game. For a fourth-line player earning the league-minimum, an 82-game pace of 35 points was more than reasonable.

Now Spezza will enter the 2020-21 season in competition for minutes once again, but the Maple Leafs need players on inexpensive contracts to fill out their depth chart if they hope to add anyone of significance this offseason. Spezza’s versatility is a big part of his value to the team, as the veteran can line up at center or right wing and contributes on the powerplay.

Maple Leafs Loan Kristians Rubins To Danish League

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While there has been a significant exodus of NHL prospects overseas in recent weeks, there are still some spots available in various leagues.  One of those has been filled by Maple Leafs prospect Kristians Rubins as Frederikshavn of the Metal Ligaen in Denmark announced that they’ve added the blueliner on loan until NHL training camps get underway.

The 22-year-old spent all of last season with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL and collected two goals and 12 assists in 47 games.  It was step up for Rubins after he spent most of his rookie season at the ECHL level with St. John’s.

Next season will be the final year of his entry-level contract and while a good showing with Frederikshavn won’t be enough to get him in the mix for a spot with Toronto, it might aid in his attempt to secure a qualifying offer and a second contract next offseason.  He’s expected to make his Danish League debut on Tuesday.

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