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Toronto Maple Leafs Extend Adam Brooks

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have locked up one of their young depth forwards, signing Adam Brooks to a two-year two-way contract extension. The deal will carry an average annual value of $725K in the NHL. Brooks was scheduled to become a restricted free agent this offseason.

It’s hard to really call Brooks a prospect at this point in his career, even though he has only played seven games in the NHL. The 24-year old was originally selected in the fourth round by the Maple Leafs in 2016 after dominating the WHL, but his progression as a professional has been slow and relatively unspectacular. The 5’10” forward has always been more of a playmaker than a goal-scorer, but it’s his work ethic that will have to be the thing that gets him an opportunity at the next level.

The Maple Leafs are always on the lookout for cheap talent to add to their roster thanks to the heavy contracts at the top, but at this point Brooks is likely still penciled into a role with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. Should the 2019-20 playoffs resume, he will likely be one of the team’s “Black Aces,” recalled to skate and practice with the NHL team in case of injury.

Even though Brooks will still be only 26 when this contract expires, there seems to be a good chance that he will become an unrestricted free agent. He would need to play in another 73 NHL games to avoid Group VI UFA status in the summer of 2022.

Paul McFarland Leaving Toronto Maple Leafs

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will be looking for a new assistant coach once the 2019-20 season is completed. Paul McFarland, who was only brought in at the beginning of the year, will depart the organization after accepting a head coaching position with the Kingston Frotenacs of the OHL. Maple Leafs head coach Sheldon Keefe explained the organization’s support:

Paul has been a great member of our staff and I look forward to continuing our work together through to the conclusion of the 2019-20 season. Normally this type of move would be done during the off-season, but given that these are far from normal circumstances, we are in full support of Paul’s desire to pursue this position in Kingston and gain more experience as a head coach.

McFarland, 34, was the head coach of the Frontenacs for three seasons before spending three years in the NHL as an assistant. His time with the Florida Panthers and then Maple Leafs included running powerplays, where he created a name for himself as a strong offensive coach.

While returning to the OHL may be seen as a step backwards, there’s no doubt that McFarland is still an up-and-coming head coaching prospect for the NHL. One thing to remember in this instance is that he wasn’t actually hired by Keefe, who took over from Mike Babcock midseason.

Notably, McFarland will be taking over a program that has one of the next great prospects leading the way. Shane Wright, who was granted exceptional status and played much of this season with Kingston as a 15-year old, is in line to be a potential first-overall pick in 2022. The young center scored 39 goals and 66 points in just 58 games, despite several years younger than his opponents.

Snapshots: Antipin, KHL Rumors, Bakersfield, Tugnutt

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Just one day after his KHL contract was terminated, former Buffalo Sabres defenseman Victor Antipin has quickly found a new team. KHL powerhouse SKA St. Petersburg has announced that they have signed Antipin to a two-year contract. The 27-year-old is joining just his second KHL club and third pro club ever, as Antipin grew up in the development system of Metallurg Magnitogorsk and played for their KHL team on either side of his 2017-18 season with the Sabres. Antipin heads to SKA with 144 points in 381 career KHL games, not to mention ten points in 47 NHL games. The puck-moving defenseman will still be on the right side of 30 when his new contract expires, so a return to North America in the future cannot be ruled out.

  • Two other notable names are expected be on the move in Europe. Johan Svensson of the Kvalls Posten reports that Swedish winger Pontus Aberg is headed back overseas for the first time since 2013-14. The 26-year-old forward spent this season with the Toronto Maple Leafs, his fifth NHL franchise in six years, but played in only five games at the top level. Aberg has had a difficult time carving out a full-time role in any of his NHL stops, so he is expected to move on. Svensson reports that Aberg is currently negotiating with the KHL’s Traktor Chelyabinsk and is likely to end up in the KHL one way or another. Meanwhile, fellow Swede Oscar Lindberg is nearing an agreement with the KHL’s Dynamo Moscow, reports Russian source Championat. Lindberg surprisingly was unable to find an NHL home this past off-season and signed with EV Zug of the Swiss NLA. The 28-year-old had a strong season is Switzerland and is now upgrading to Europe’s top league. Lindberg, who has five full NHL seasons to his credit, has been a useful player throughout his pro career and it is no wonder that he is in demand for one of the KHL’s top teams.
  • The AHL’s Bakersfield Condors have made an intriguing signing, adding collegiate defenseman Yanni Kaldis on a two-year deal. Kaldis, 24, was the captain of the Cornell Big Red this season, one of the top teams in the NCAA. A productive two-way defenseman in college, Kaldis has proven that he has pro chops and could play a major role for the Condors. Bakersfield also extended forward Jakob Stukel, a former Vancouver Canucks prospect who suited up for 36 games with the team this season.
  • Matt Tugnutt, son of former NHL goaltender Ron Tugnutt, is transferring schools. The talented forward may not be going far geographically, but he is making a major move in terms of competition level and ability to compete for a national title. Tugnutt, 23, will play his senior season at Providence College after spending his first three years at Sacred Heart, he announced on his personal Twitter. A near point-per-game player and a +21 for a very good Sacred Heart team this year, Tugnutt is a big addition for the Friars. However, he will have to adjust quickly to the difference between Atlantic and Hockey East competition if he hopes to make a similar impact.

Pontus Aberg Linked To KHL

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After a year spent almost entirely in the minor leagues, Pontus Aberg could be headed overseas. The Toronto Maple Leafs forward has been offered a contract in the KHL according to a report out of Sweden, though with the uncertainty of the NHL season he may not be able to sign it at this point. Aberg of course is still part of an organization that has their sights set on a playoff run this summer (fall?).

The 26-year old Aberg was one of several NHL veterans that signed short-term deals with the Maple Leafs last summer without any guarantee of NHL playing time. He ended up on waivers at the end of training camp and then played most of the season with the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. In 55 minor league contests he showed just how dominant he could be at that level, scoring 20 goals and 44 points.

Aberg did get a cup of coffee with the Maple Leafs, playing in five games when the team was dealing with injury. He recorded a single assist during that time, despite even getting a (very) short look beside star center Auston Matthews. For his career, Aberg has recorded 44 points in 132 NHL games.

Selected 37th overall by the Nashville Predators in 2012, there have been flashes of skill from the Swedish forward including a strong performance for the club in the 2017 playoffs. Unfortunately he just hasn’t been able to turn that skill into any consistency at the NHL level and could be trying to get his career back on track overseas. Again, any new deal will likely have to wait on the NHL season being completed or canceled–even though the KHL doesn’t technically have a transfer agreement.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Mikko Lehtonen

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Among the most coveted KHL free agents this season was Mikko Lehtonen, who dominated the league in his first season with Jokerit to the tune of 49 points in 60 games. Lehtonen has made a decision on where his career will continue, signing a one-year entry-level contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs.

The 26-year old defenseman has been widely seen as a potential NHL option for the last few years, especially following his outstanding performance at the 2019 World Championship where he helped Finland take home the gold medal. His single season in the KHL cemented him as one of the best defensemen playing outside the NHL, though he’ll still have to prove it on North American ice.

For the Maple Leafs, going after a player like Lehtonen was a no-brainer given their situation on defense going into next season. Cody Ceci and Tyson Barrie are both unrestricted free agents, while a stagnant salary cap will not leave them with much room to add any high-priced talent.

Obviously though, adding another left-handed defenseman isn’t an ideal situation for the Maple Leafs, who have a lopsided depth chart on the back end. If Barrie and Ceci both depart, it would leave Justin Holl as the only established right-handed option on the team. Young prospect Timothy Liljegren is expected to compete for a full-time role, but there will have to be players spending time on their off-side next season.

Bob McKenzie of TSN notes that Lehtonen does have some experience playing on the right, though suggests Travis Dermott would be the most likely candidate to move over.

Snapshots: Spezza, Hlinka-Gretzky, Coaching

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For players nearing the end of their careers, a lost playoff would be devastating. One of their last few chances to raise the Stanley Cup evaporates without anything they can do to stop it. That would be the case for Jason Spezza, who went to Toronto on a one-year deal with the Maple Leafs chasing that elusive championship. Spezza has played more than 1,200 NHL games between the regular season and playoffs but still hasn’t been able to see his name engraved on the sparkling chalice.

All through this season Spezza has been clear that his intention is to play beyond 2020, and on a conference call with reporters today including Luke Fox of Sportsnet, he clarified that there is “nowhere else” he’d rather be than in Toronto. Spezza has been excellent in a depth role for the Maple Leafs this season, scoring nine goals and 25 points in 58 games despite averaging fewer than 11 minutes a night. It seems likely that if he is willing to take another bargain to stay in Toronto, the team would be open to it given how inexpensive they need their fourth line to be.

  • Scouting for this year’s draft took a huge hit when junior and college seasons were abruptly ended, and the 2021 class looks to be in danger of losing some valuable face time as well. The Hlinka-Gretzky Cup, a huge opportunity for the upcoming draft prospects to show what they can do against the best competition in the world, is expected to be canceled for this year according to Bob McKenzie of TSN. The tournament is scheduled for August in Edmonton, Alberta but is already on the chopping block. McKenzie also notes other events like the World Junior Summer Showcase are also in jeopardy, meaning this year’s draft class could miss plenty of opportunities to show NHL scouts what they can do.
  • Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic (subscription required) followed up his earlier report on Gerard Gallant’s interview with the New Jersey Devils by adding that other teams with interim head coaches—specifically the Calgary Flames, Dallas Stars and Minnesota Wild—aren’t going to address the situation until they find out what happens with the rest of the 2019-20 season. Those three, in particular, are still in playoff contention, something that the Devils (and San Jose Sharks, who currently have interim coach Bob Boughner in place) don’t have to worry about.

Snapshots: Player’s Last Paycheck, Hyman, Yzerman

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NHL players and have deferred their decision on their last paycheck until May 15, which they hope will give both the NHL and NHLPA extra time to figure out if there will be games played this season, according to TVA’s Renaud Lavoie. Players have been debating on how much of their final paycheck should go back to owners via escrow.

TSN’s Pierre LeBrun notes that players are already getting their 2018-19 escrow return next week, which should alleviate some of the pain in delaying their final paycheck. The NHLPA must decide what to do with their last paycheck, which is estimated at $140MM, but the players also owe escrow money to the system for this year, which could require giving up some of that final paycheck.

  • With the recent admission that forward Zach Hyman hopes to remain with the Toronto Maple Leafs, The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) looks at what a contract with the Maple Leafs might look at, especially considering the importance of the salary cap to the team. However, the importance of a bang-and-crash winger is an important element to the team. Mirtle’s best comparable is Colorado winger Joonas Donskoi, who signed a four-year, $3.9MM AAV deal last summer. However, Hyman produces a little more than Donskoi, suggesting he is likely to make more than Donskoi’s $3.9MM cap number. A number closer to $4.5MM per season is more likely, but Mirtle wonders if Hyman’s camp would be willing to take a lower number for more term, such as maybe a six-year deal?
  • With his one-year anniversary hitting Sunday, Detroit Red Wings general manager Steve Yzerman made it clear to Detroit News’ Ted Kulfan that everything is going according to plan despite a dismal season that has the Red Wings at the bottom of the standings in the NHL with a 17-45-9 record. “I knew what I was getting into, and I think I had a general idea what it takes to build a team,” said Yzerman. “(Patience) is very difficult to sell, and we gotta show progress. I’m hoping the progress shows next year in wins and losses, but it will show in prospects and their development.” Yzerman, along with former GM Ken Holland, have been stockpiling picks. Yzerman acquired two second-rounders and a fourth for Andreas Athanasiou and Mike Green (all from Edmonton) and have 10 total picks in the upcoming draft. Considering quite a bit of prospect depth already in the system, the team’s long-term future looks bright so far.

Zach Hyman Hopes To Stay In Toronto Long-Term

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The Toronto Maple Leafs, perhaps more than many other teams, could be in trouble thanks to a stagnant or even declining salary cap next season. Depending on what happens with the playoffs this year and how the NHL and NHLPA decide to go about things, a team like Toronto that has so much money tied up in their core forwards could be looking to cut costs on the fringes of the roster. Moving forward, re-signing other players may be even more difficult, especially if they are performing well enough to deserve a raise.

Enter Zach Hyman, the hometown boy who is on a contract that ends after the 2020-21 season. Hyman signed a four-year, $9MM deal in the summer of 2017 after his first full season in the NHL. He had scored just 10 goals and 28 points that year but quickly become a fan and Mike Babcock favorite thanks to his tireless work ethic and impressive forechecking ability. That four-year deal has paid off in spades for the Maple Leafs, as Hyman jumped up to 40 points in his second full season, 21 goals in his third and had already scored 21 in just 51 games this year.

That pace was good enough for 33 goals over a full 82-game season, quite the performance for a player earning just $2.25MM against the cap. It’s also a player that the Maple Leafs would obviously be interested in bringing back, especially since he will be only 29 when his current deal expires.

If the team does want to extend the bang-and-crash winger, he’s open to it. On a conference call with reporters today including Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com, Hyman explained that he would “love to stay in Toronto” and would “love to be a long-time Leaf.”

That should come as no surprise, given Hyman’s roots in the city, but it also will instantly perk up fan’s ears in hopes of a “hometown discount.” A 30-goal winger (if he ever gets there) with Hyman’s kind of penalty-killing prowess would go for a lot more than $2.25MM per season on the open market, a number that the Maple Leafs may not be able to afford if they have any plans on investing more into their defensive group, or re-signing Frederik Andersen beyond the 2020-21 campaign.

Even if that contract negotiation is a little down the road, Hyman had other good news for Maple Leafs’ fans. The suspended season has given him even more time to rest a knee that needed ACL surgery last summer.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Konstantin Okulov Re-Signs In KHL

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It wasn’t so long ago that news about a 25-year old KHL forward re-signing in Russia would be easily swept aside by daily NHL updates, but such as it is, Konstantin Okulov’s new contract is one of the top stories of the day. Igor Eronko of Sport-Express reported earlier today that the free agent had re-signed with CSKA Moscow for another year, ending (for now at least) any interest from NHL clubs.

The Toronto Maple Leafs and Montreal Canadiens had been the leading pursuers earlier this year and were considered aggressive enough at the time that other teams had hesitated to invest any time in the recruitment of Okulov. The undrafted forward recorded 17 goals and 38 points this season for CSKA, putting him fifth on the team in scoring behind familiar names Kirill Kaprizov, Linden Vey, Anton Slepyshev and Mikhail Grigorenko. It was the third season in four years that he has scored at least 17 goals, actually a relatively impressive accomplishment in the shorter-seasoned KHL.

Perhaps the Maple Leafs’ recent acquisition of Alexander Barabanov spoiled their interest in Okulov, or perhaps he just decided to remain in Russia for another year. His name will surely come up again next spring when he is a free agent once again, though it’s not clear which NHL teams—if any—would be interested at that point.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Alexander Barabanov

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have won a battle with several other teams, including the Arizona Coyotes, for the right to sign Russian forward Alexander Barabanov. The team announced a one-year entry-level contract for the KHL star, one which kicks in for the 2020-21 season.

The 25-year old Barabanov has been on NHL radars for quite some time, given his history of success in the KHL and on the international stage. A medalist with Russia at the World Juniors, World Championship and Olympics, he also has taken home two Gagarin Cup titles and has 137 points in 262 career KHL games.

Though his numbers dropped off this season, Barabanov will now get the chance to show he can compete at the NHL level with the Maple Leafs, who have a recent history of bringing over prized Russian free agents. Nikita Zaitsev, Igor Ozhiganov and Ilya Mikheyev have all played for the team the last few seasons—to different levels of success—though many believed that former GM Lou Lamoriello and former head coach Mike Babcock had a lot to do with the recruiting process in those cases.

It seems as though current GM Kyle Dubas still has the ear of some important representatives, which perhaps has something to do with the way he recently dealt with Mikheyev’s injury. After Dubas remained in New Jersey with the injured forward as he recovered, agent Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey—who also represents Barabanov—said that he had made sure that all of the other KHL free agents were aware of how Toronto dealt with the situation.

In any case, the Maple Leafs have landed another cheap forward to add to their expensive group for next season, giving them options on how to construct a lineup.

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