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Maple Leafs Loan Mikko Lehkonen To Jokerit Of The KHL

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It turns out that Mikko Lehtonen’s time in the KHL isn’t over yet after all.  The Maple Leafs announced (Twitter link) that they have loaned the blueliner back to Jokerit to start next season.  He’s expected to report to the team next week.

Toronto signed the 26-year-old back in May after he and Jokerit agreed to a mutual termination of his existing KHL deal and the Maple Leafs beat out several other NHL suitors for his services.  He’s coming off quite a year, one that saw him pick up 17 goals and 32 assists in 60 regular season games (plus four points in six playoff contests before COVID-19 shut down their postseason).  He was limited to a one-year, entry-level contract due to his age and he’ll actually hit the open market again in the 2021 offseason.

Lehtonen will be the second Toronto player loaned out to the KHL to start next season as it was reported earlier this week that Egor Korshkov would be loaned to Lokomotiv Yaroslavl to get some playing time in before training camps start up.

It’s that performance that has many expecting that he’ll be a part of Toronto’s back end when the puck drops on the 2020-21 season which is pegged to be in early December as things stand.  Loaning Lehtonen out in the meantime will allow him to get some playing time and should help give him a leg up in training camp.

NHL Makes Rulings On Three Trades With Conditional Picks

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For fans of the Flames and Oilers that have been awaiting the final decision on the James Neal–Milan Lucic trade, the verdict is in.  Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports (Twitter link) that Edmonton will have to transfer a third-round pick in either 2020 or 2021 to Calgary to complete the trade.  The Oilers will have until the start of the third round in October’s draft to choose whether they will transfer the selection this year or wait until the next draft.

The issue in this trade was in the wording of the rather unique conditions that were put on the deal.  In the original swap, Neal had to have at least 21 goals and Lucic ten or fewer.  Neal was at 19 when the season was shut down due to COVID-19 while Lucic was at eight so only the second element was met.  However, by extrapolating Neal’s output over a full 82-game season, he scored at a 23-goal pace.  It appears the league used a similar interpretation with the awarding of the draft pick.

It’s worth noting that Edmonton is currently without their second-round pick for the next two years from their acquisition of Andreas Athanasiou.  They also are without their fourth-rounder in 2020 from the Mike Green pickup.

The NHL has also tweaked the terms of the Kings-Maple Leafs trade that saw Jack Campbell and Kyle Clifford go to Toronto.  Johnston notes in a separate tweet that Toronto will owe a 2021 second-round pick if they win their Qualifying Round series against Columbus and Campbell gets two or more wins or if Clifford re-signs.  The original terms of the deal had the pick transferring if the Maple Leafs made the playoffs and Campbell winning six games or Clifford re-signing.  If those don’t happen, then a 2021 third-round pick will be transferred to Los Angeles.

A decision has also been made on the conditional pick involved in the Hurricanes’ acquisition of Sami Vatanen from the Devils at the trade deadline and as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports in a Twitter thread, the details are a bit more complex.

If Carolina beats New York in the Qualifying Round series and Vatanen plays in 70% or more of their playoff games, the Hurricanes send New Jersey their 2020 third-round pick.  If Vatanen doesn’t play in 70% or more of the playoff games but plays in two or more contests against the Rangers, then two more scenarios present themselves.  In that situation, if Carolina wins the series, the Devils get Carolina’s 2020 fourth-rounder.  If he plays at least twice but the Rangers win, then Carolina gets to pick between sending a 2020 or a 2021 fourth-round selection.  If none of this plays out, then no pick transfers.

This closes the books on the remaining questions surrounding conditional trades with the league ruling back in May on ones that had picks contingent on making the playoffs.  Teams will have to be in the final 16 teams in order to be classified as a playoff team for the purpose of those trades.

Injury Notes: Carlson, Ritchie, Johnsson

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The Washington Capitals were without Norris Trophy finalist John Carlson at practice today after he left yesterday’s game. Carlson fell awkwardly into the boards after a collision, but head coach Todd Reirden told reporters today including Samantha Pell of the Washington Post that the hope is to have him back on the ice on Saturday.

Losing Carlson would be a huge blow for the Capitals, though they do have the round-robin games to prepare before getting into elimination territory. The 30-year old had 75 points in 69 games this season to lead all defensemen.

  • Nick Ritchie was back on the ice for the Boston Bruins at their optional practice this morning, along with a good number of other players. The deadline addition won’t play tonight for the team when they take on the Columbus Blue Jackets, but is obviously getting closer to a return for the team. Ritchie came over from the Anaheim Ducks in exchange for Danton Heinen and had two points in seven games before the shutdown.
  • Speaking of players returning, Andreas Johnsson took part in special teams practice for the Toronto Maple Leafs today. The depth winger was given a six-month recovery timeline in February when he underwent knee surgery and could potentially return for Toronto should they get a little deeper into the playoffs.

Return To Play Represents Opportunity For Pending Free Agents

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For an NHL player, the Stanley Cup playoffs represent a fleeting opportunity to cement your legacy. By hoisting that chalice even once in your career, you join a relatively small group of players that can be identified as champions.

It doesn’t happen for everyone.

Just ask Patrick Marleau, who played the first of his 191 career playoff games on April 24, 1998, and is still chasing that elusive Cup to this day. Or Jason Spezza, who reached the Finals in 2007 as a 23-year old but ended up taking a minimum-salary contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs this season—more than a decade later—in the hopes that he could get another chance.

After such a long break in 2020, players across 24 of the league’s 31 teams will get the chance to write their names in the history books, their legacy forever changed.

But for a select group, the Stanley Cup is not the only thing that could be raised. For those on expiring contracts, a strong playoff (or a particularly weak one) could result in a huge difference in salary they can demand this offseason.

Take Braden Holtby, who must have licked his lips when he watched Sergei Bobrovsky sign a seven-year, $70MM contract with the Florida Panthers last offseason. Holtby, whose own deal expires after the 2019-20 season, was comparable to Bobrovsky in many ways and potentially could have demanded a similar contract. For whatever reason though, Holtby struggled this season to find the form that won him a Vezina Trophy in 2016 and a Stanley Cup in 2018. He finished the year with an .897 save percentage, easily the worst number in his ten-year career.

Holtby was also pushed by young goaltender Ilya Samsonov, who looked ready to take over as the Washington Capitals starter when the older netminder moved on. There was no guarantee that Holtby would even be the team’s starter in the playoffs, but now he has been given that opportunity with an injury to Samsonov. As we saw in 2018 after he took the net back from Philipp Grubauer, Holtby only needs a chance. Should he take Washington deep and play to his former caliber, there will be many who point to the 2019-20 season as an exception, not a trend.

What about Robin Lehner, who is battling with a playoff legend for the chance to start for the Vegas Golden Knights? The outspoken goaltender has been one of the league’s best for several years now (if not longer, despite his unfortunate record in Buffalo), but still found himself taking short-term “prove-it” deals with the New York Islanders and Chicago Blackhawks. Lehner will only be 29 when he starts the 2020-21 season and deserves a long-term contract at this point. Wrestling control of the Vegas net from Marc-Andre Fleury (a three-time Cup winner) and taking the Golden Knights deep would only strengthen his case.

And then there is Taylor Hall, the enigmatic forward who just can’t seem to get to the playoffs. The first-overall pick from 2010 has played just five games in the NHL postseason (scoring six points), missing the tournament altogether in nine of his ten seasons.

By no means was Hall at his best this year, but his 2017-18 Hart Trophy-winning season has shown us that when he is he can carry a team nearly singlehanded. Could a strong playoff for the Arizona Coyotes push that five-year, $7.25MM price tag substantially higher?

For some pending free agents like Alex Pietrangelo and Torey Krug, an excellent playoff would just be par for the course at this point. They are expected to perform at that level and have done it many times in the past. But for others—how about Alex Galchenyuk’s spiraling career?—this postseason is about more than just their legacy, it’s about the future.

Toronto’s Egor Korshkov To Be Loaned To KHL

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Toronto Maple Leafs forward Egor Korshkov may be on the team’s postseason roster, but he is unlikely to see much action. The young forward is under contract for 2020-21 as well, but the same goes for his likelihood of suiting up for the Leafs. As a result, Korshkov may be in need of an early start to his season and possibly a prolonged place to play at a high level. According to multiple sources, that is expected to be the KHL.

Russian news source Sport24 first reported that Korshkov was planning to sign a contract with HC Lokomotiv Yaroslavl, the same organization that he played for during the seven years prior to his jump to the NHL. However, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman corrects this report, noting that Korshkov will be loaned rather than having his contract terminated in favor of a KHL deal. This will leave open the option for Korshkov to play for Toronto at some point next season.

Korshkov, 24, played in just one game with the Maple Leafs this year and saw only about ten minutes of ice time. However, he made the most of this debut by recording a goal. The big right wing is a natural scorer who excels around the net. He recorded 16 goals and 25 points in 44 games with the AHL’s Toronto Marlies this season and very well might have seen more NHL action if not for the league’s pause. There is upside to Korshkov’s game and this loan does not imply that he does not have a future in Toronto. However, with the Maple Leafs deep up front and the questions surrounding the 2020-21 AHL season, a return to the KHL could be the best bet for Korshkov.

Snapshots: Lightning, Robertson, Blackhawks, Ehlers, Nurse

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The Tampa Bay Lightning is traveling to Toronto, but will be doing so without their star defenseman. Victor Hedman will not be traveling with the team, according to The Athletic’s Joe Smith, due to personal reasons at his own request. However, he is expected to meet up with the team on Friday and is expected to participate in all three round-robin games. The blueliner did practice Saturday and is expected to work with strength coach Mark Lambert. He is expected to be tested regularly while in Tampa Bay.

The team did release its roster as NHL.com’s Bryan Burns reports that the team will only bring 28 players with them to Toronto. Including the team’s normal 25-man roster, the team is only adding forwards Mathieu Joseph, Alexander Volkov and goaltender Scott Wedgewood.

Also, head coach Jon Cooper said that Steven Stamkos remains day-to-day and is not expected to participate in the exhibition game, according to Smith. The veteran is hoping to be more involved in practice once the team gets to Toronto. “It’s still in the window of time to get him back,” said Cooper.

  • TSN’s Mark Masters writes that if 19-year-old Nick Robertson hopes to get into the Toronto Maple Leafs playoff lineup, he must show that he can be comfortable on the ice in their upcoming exhibition game. The team’s 2019 second-round pick had an impressive junior campaign and has impressed the team enough to keep him on the playoff roster for the upcoming 24-team tournament. What might be more surprising is that the youngster continues to get third-line looks during practice. “He needs to look comfortable,” head coach Sheldon Keefe said. “He needs to make an impact on the game, be it through his work ethic and enthusiasm or his ability to create some offence and capitalize when he gets chances. All those kinds of things … We’re just really looking to see if he can be comfortable and be himself and then see how it all sorts itself out in terms our other players.”
  • Brandon Cain of NHL.com reports that the Chicago Blackhawks will take four goaltenders with them to Edmonton for the upcoming 24-team tournament. That is necessary due to the status of veteran Corey Crawford, who recently admitted he tested positive for COVID-19 and missed the first 12 days of training camp. While he has been cleared and participated in a full practice Saturday, that doesn’t mean he’s in game shape for the tournament. The team also will bring Malcolm Subban, Collin Delia and Kevin Lankinen.
  • NHL.com’s Mitchell Clinton reports that Winnipeg Jets winger Nikolaj Ehlers, who was forced to leave Thursday’s scrimmage due to an undisclosed injury, was back at practice Saturday before the team leaves for Edmonton. He is expected to take on a second-line role with the team after scoring 25 goals in 71 games this year.
  • Edmonton Journal’s Kurt Leavins writes that Edmonton Oilers fans don’t need to worry about the fact that defenseman Darnell Nurse was forced to sit out Saturday’s team scrimmage with an undisclosed injury. The scribe described the injury as something he “tweaked” during practice earlier in the week. He’s expected to be ready to go.

Maple Leafs’ Eddie Shack Dies At Age 83

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He played 16 seasons with six different NHL teams, but Eddie Shack was considered to be a Toronto Maple Leaf. The team announced that the forward, who helped lead the Toronto franchise to four Stanley Cup Championships in the 1960s, passed away Saturday after a long fight with throat cancer. He was 83 years old.

Shack was a popular player in his time in the NHL, who held several nicknames throughout his career, including “The Entertainer,” “The Nose,” and even had a novelty song written about him called “Clear the Track, Here Comes Shack.” However, his on the ice play, especially in his years with the Maple Leafs was what stood out. Shack played nine seasons with Toronto, including a seven-year run from 1960 to 1967 where he played on four Stanley Cup title teams in 1962, 1963, 1964 and 1967. He also scored the game-winning goal in 1963 to capture the cup and was well known for his celebrations on the ice after scoring a goal.

He did get traded five different times throughout his career and spent time with a number of other teams, including the New York Rangers, Los Angeles Kings, Buffalo Sabres and Pittsburgh Penguins, before finally wrapping up his career with two more years in Toronto before retiring after the 1974-75 season. He was even almost traded to the Detroit Red Wings in a package in 1960 for Red Kelly, but the trade was cancelled after Kelly opted to retire rather than be traded. Shack played in 1,047 games, scoring 239 goals and accumulating 1,439 penalty minutes over the course of his career. He was just a handful of players to score 20 or more goals for five different teams.

Everyone at PHR wishes the best for the family and friends of Shack at this time.

NHL Releases Qualifying Round, Round Robin Schedules

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July 20: The NHL has announced some minor changes to the schedule for the round robin. The Boston Bruins-Washington Capitals game that was scheduled for August 8 will now be played on August 9. The Philadelphia Flyers-Tampa Bay Lightning game that was originally scheduled for August 9, will now be played on August 8.

July 14: After revealing the schedule earlier today for the exhibition games occurring after the conclusion of training camp, the NHL has followed up with the schedules for the games that actually matter. The league has announced the full schedule for the best-of-five qualifying round match-ups, four each per conference between the teams seeded No. 5 to No. 12, as well as the six round robin games per conference between the teams seeded No. 1 to No. 4. As a reminder, the qualifying round will serve as a knockout round to trim the list of postseason teams to 16 for a standard playoff format while the round robin games will serve as a means to seed the top team in each conference. Teams will re-seed following the conclusion of the qualifying round and each subsequent round.

The full schedule is as follows (all times ET):

Saturday, Aug. 1

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Game 1, 12 p.m.
Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders, Game 1, 4 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 1, 8 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers, Game 1, 3 p.m.
Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames, Game 1, 10:30 p.m.

Sunday, Aug. 2

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Round-robin

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Boston Bruins, 3 p.m.

Best-of-5 series

Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 1, 8 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Arizona Coyotes vs, Nashville Predators, Game 1, 2 p.m.
Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks, Game 1, 10:30 p.m.

Round-robin

St. Louis Blues vs. Colorado Avalanche, 6:30 p.m.

Monday, Aug. 3

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Game 2, 12 p.m.
Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 2, 8 p.m.

Round-robin

Washington Capitals vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, 4 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames, Game 2, 2:30 p.m.
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers, Game 2, 10:30 p.m.

Round-robin

Dallas Stars vs. Vegas Golden Knights, 6:30 p.m.

Tuesday, Aug. 4

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders, Game 2, 12 p.m.
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 2, 4 p.m.
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers, Game 3, 8 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Arizona Coyotes vs. Nashville Predators, Game 2, 2:30 p.m.
Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets, Game 3, 6:45 p.m.
Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks, Game 2, 10:45 p.m.

Wednesday, Aug. 5

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

New York Islanders vs. Florida Panthers, Game 3, 12 p.m.
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens, Game 3, 8 p.m.

Round-robin

Tampa Bay Lightning vs. Boston Bruins, 4 p.m.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Nashville Predators vs. Arizona Coyotes, Game 3, 2:30 p.m.
Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Game 3, 10:30 p.m.

Round-robin

Colorado Avalanche vs. Dallas Stars, 6:30 p.m.

Thursday, Aug. 6

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, Game 3, TBD
Carolina Hurricanes vs. New York Rangers, Game 4*, TBD

Round-robin

Washington Capitals vs. Philadelphia Flyers, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild, Game 3, TBD
Calgary Flames vs. Winnipeg Jets, Game 4*, TBD

Round-robin

Vegas Golden Knights vs. St. Louis Blues, TBD

Friday, Aug. 7

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

New York Islanders vs. Florida Panthers, Game 4*, TBD
Pittsburgh Penguins vs. Montreal Canadiens, Game 4*, TBD
Toronto Maple Leafs vs. Columbus Blue Jackets, Game 4*, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Nashville Predators vs. Arizona Coyotes, Game 4*, TBD
Vancouver Canucks vs. Minnesota Wild, Game 4*, TBD
Edmonton Oilers vs. Chicago Blackhawks, Game 4*, TBD

Saturday, Aug. 8

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

New York Rangers vs. Carolina Hurricanes, Game 5*, TBD
Montreal Canadiens vs. Pittsburgh Penguins, Game 5*, TBD

Round-robin

Boston Bruins vs. Washington Capitals, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Winnipeg Jets vs. Calgary Flames, Game 5*, TBD
Chicago Blackhawks vs. Edmonton Oilers, Game 5*, TBD

Round-robin

Vegas Golden Knights vs. Colorado Avalanche, TBD

Sunday, Aug. 9

EASTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Florida Panthers vs. New York Islanders, Game 5*, TBD
Columbus Blue Jackets vs. Toronto Maple Leafs, Game 5*, TBD

Round-robin

Philadelphia Flyers vs. Tampa Bay Lightning, TBD

WESTERN CONFERENCE

Best-of-5 series

Minnesota Wild vs. Vancouver Canucks, Game 5*, TBD
Arizona Coyotes vs. Nashville Predators, Game 5*, TBD

Round-robin

Dallas Stars vs. St. Louis Blues, TBD

With round robin games scheduled through August 9, the first round will not begin until August 10 at the earliest. However, given that exhibition games don’t even begin until July 28, the NHL is about to cram a lot of hockey into a span of just a dozen days.

Atlantic Notes: Coyle, Pastrnak, Stamkos, Paquette, Hyman

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After an inconclusive COVID-19 test and being forced to sit out Saturday’s practice, Boston Bruins’ Charlie Coyle looks like he will be fine. The forward followed the inconclusive test with a negative test, according to The Athletic’s Fluto Shinzawa (subscription required) upon talking to Coyle’s agent, Bob Norton. The team is not expected to practice Sunday, yet several players who didn’t practice Saturday did skate today, which includes Coyle, according to NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty.

Coyle was one of nine players who were not permitted to practice Saturday, including Coyle’s linemates, Sean Kuraly and Nick Ritchie. David Pastrnak, Ondrej Kase, David Krejci, Chris Wagner, Torey Krug and goaltender Tuukka Rask. Coyle had a solid season in Boston with 16 goals and 37 points.

General manager Don Sweeney did say the team hopes to get Pastrnak back on the ice with the team soon. He hasn’t practiced so far and was seen practicing with Kase with non-NHLers at a suburban rink, but Sweeney said both players were still under Phase 2 and were able to train on their own.

  • Tampa Bay Lightning center Steven Stamkos was on the ice for a full practice for a second straight day after undergoing core muscle surgery on March 3. The Athletic’s Joe Smith reports that it’s a good sign that he is back out for a second straight day as it suggests that he’s close to being deemed healthy and ready to go for the upcoming tournament. The 30-year-old Stamkos had 29 goals and 66 points in 57 games before going down with the injury.
  • Sticking with the Lightning, NHL.com’s Bryan Burns notes that forward Cedric Paquette, who was out both Friday and Saturday, was still not with the main group in practice Sunday, but did skate in the morning session. The team will not release any information on his health due to the NHL’s new injury update policy. He also reports that center Mitchell Stephens also skated this morning, but didn’t join the main group.
  • TSN’s Kristen Shilton reports that Toronto Maple Leafs forward Zach Hyman was back in practice Sunday after missing Saturday’s training camp activities. Hyman was forced to leave Friday’s practice session after taking a shot off his leg. The 28-year-old tied his career high with 21 goals, but in 20 less games from last season.

Maple Leafs Sign Teemu Kivihalme To A Two-Year Extension

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The Maple Leafs will be keeping one of their depth defensemen in the fold for a while yet as they announced that they’ve signed Teemu Kivihalme to a two-year, two-way contract.  The deal will carry a $725K AAV which means the NHL salary for both seasons will be at the league minimum – $700K in 2020-21 and $750K in 2021-22.

The 25-year-old was actually drafted by Nashville back in 2013 (140th overall) but he never signed with them.  Instead, after three seasons at Colorado College, he opted to turn pro in Finland and spent two years with Karpat of the SM-liiga.  The second of those seasons saw him pick up 30 points in 60 games which got him on the radar for several NHL teams including Toronto as they signed him in May of 2019.

This season, Kivihalme played exclusively in the AHL with the Marlies, picking up four goals and 14 assists in 55 games.  While those numbers don’t jump off the table by any means, he impressed enough in his own end to earn an invitation to Toronto’s ongoing training camp with a chance for him to earn a spot on their roster for the NHL’s return in August.  If that doesn’t happen though, he’ll at least be armed with the security of a two-year deal, one that will see him become an unrestricted free agent at its expiration.

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