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Trade Deadline Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs

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With the trade deadline now less than two weeks away, we will be taking a closer look at the situation for each team over the coming weeks.  Where do they stand, what do they need to do, and what assets do they have to fill those needs?  Next up is a look at the Toronto Maple Leafs.

As things stand, the Maple Leafs find themselves in the top three in the Atlantic Division, a spot many figured they’d be in at this point of the year.  However, the road they’ve taken to get there has been an interesting one.  Mike Babcock was let go as head coach early in the season while Toronto had been battling a backup goalie crisis between the pipes until recently when they picked up Jack Campbell.  While they filled an important spot with that swap, they will likely be looking to do more before the deadline strikes.

Record

30-20-8, third in the Atlantic Division

Deadline Status

Buyer

Deadline Cap Space

$5.834MM in a full-season cap hit (using LTIR), 1/3 used salary cap retention slots, 49/50 contracts per CapFriendly

Upcoming Draft Picks

2020: TOR 2nd, TOR 4th, CAR 6th, COL 6th, TOR 6th, SJ 7th, STL 7th, WPG 7th
2021: TOR 1st*, TOR 2nd^, TOR 4th, TOR 5th, TOR 6th, TOR 7th

* – If Toronto’s first-round pick in 2020 is in the top-ten, the Maple Leafs will keep this selection and transfer their first-round choice (unprotected) in 2021 to Carolina as part of the Patrick Marleau trade.

^ – Toronto will be required to give up their second-round pick in 2021 to Los Angeles if they re-sign Kyle Clifford or Jack Campbell is credited with six regular season victories with the Maple Leafs.  If one of those happens, they will get back their third-round selection from the Kings.

Trade Chips

Considering their top-paid players are almost certainly off the table plus the fact they’re down three picks in the top five rounds in the draft, Toronto’s options in terms of trade bait are a bit limited.

In terms of NHL assets, winger Kasperi Kapanen plus center Alexander Kerfoot have been speculated as potential trade chips.  It’s not that the Maple Leafs are particularly displeased with them – they’re not – but with their salary scale being what it is, one of the few ways that they can free up cap space is to move one of their medium-salaried players.  Kapanen in particular has come up as he hasn’t fared all that well since the coaching change and at 23 with two years left on his deal at a reasonable $3.2MM AAV, he’s someone that a lot of teams can afford.  The fact that he’ll still be a restricted free agent at the end of his contract certainly helps as well.  Kerfoot, 25, is signed through 2022-23 and will be an unrestricted free agent at that time.  He has shown in recent weeks that he can also play on the wing which could be of interest to some teams as well.  Winger Andreas Johnsson also could have been in the mix here but an injury sustained against Dallas on Thursday, one that head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated wasn’t a short-term one, likely takes him out of the equation.

One prospect to keep tabs on is Jeremy Bracco.  The winger was second in the AHL in points last season but that wasn’t enough to garner him any consideration for a recall with Toronto nor has he received a chance this year.  Accordingly, it was reported last month that he had asked the team to see if there was a better opportunity for him elsewhere.  This is the time of year where organizations will be willing to take a look at someone like this so it wouldn’t be surprising to see him be on the move at some point.  Winger Yegor Korshkov showed well in the preseason and could garner some interest as well.

Beyond that, there are some players on the fringes who could find themselves dealt.  Defenseman Ben Harpur and winger Dmytro Timashov are believed to also have asked to see if there is a better chance to play elsewhere while winger Nic Petan, who has been quite productive in the minors, was made available earlier in the season.  As contenders look to shore up their depth, one of them could be moved if GM Kyle Dubas feels they have enough depth as things stand.

Five Players To Watch For: F Jeremy Bracco, D Ben Harpur, F Alexander Kerfoot, W Yegor Korshkov, W Nic Petan

Team Needs

1) Top-Four Defender: This was something that they likely would have been looking for before the injuries to Morgan Rielly and Cody Ceci but their departures have only made that void that much bigger.  Their ability (or lack thereof) to pursue such an upgrade will ultimately lie with Reilly and Ceci’s health.  If one of them is ruled out for the rest of the regular season, Dubas will be able to really dip into that LTIR reserve.  If not, they’ll be basically forced to try to match money which puts the mid-tier forwards into play.

2) Penalty Killing Forward: Special teams can be critical in the playoffs and as things stand, Toronto would face off with one of Boston or Tampa Bay, teams that are well above average on the power play.  Meanwhile, the penalty kill for the Maple Leafs is below the NHL average this season.  Those teams are tough to shut down entirely but adding a fourth line piece that is particularly adept shorthanded could give them an important upgrade which could come in handy in one of those matchups.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.

Pierre Engvall Signs Two-Year Extension

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The Toronto Maple Leafs aren’t waiting around the lock up some of their young talent, this time signing Pierre Engvall to a two-year contract extension. The deal will keep him under contract through the 2021-22 season and carries an average annual value of $1.25MM. Engvall is in his rookie season with the Maple Leafs and was scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the year.

The 23-year old forward has come out of basically nowhere for the Maple Leafs, but now looks like a potential building block moving forward. Selected in the seventh round in 2014, he came over to North America just in time to help the Toronto Marlies to a Calder Cup championship in 2018. Last season in his first full year on this side of the ocean, he recorded 19 goals and 32 points for the Marlies, gaining trust from his head coach at the time.

That head coach, Sheldon Keefe, is now back behind Engvall in the NHL and has trusted him in various situations including on the penalty kill and in a bottom-six center role. The 6’5″ forward has an incredibly long reach and can fool defenders with his surprising speed. In 35 games this season with the Maple Leafs he has 14 points, a nice start for a player that could have a bigger role down the road.

The Maple Leafs obviously have to include some relatively inexpensive names on their roster given the huge amount of cap space used at the top, and Engvall has shown he can perform at the NHL level admirably. A deal like this doesn’t carry a ton of risk for the team, and leaves him as a restricted free agent at its conclusion.

Colorado’s Nazem Kadri Out “Weeks”

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The surging Colorado Avalanche have suffered a setback in their pursuit to overtake the St. Louis Blues for the lead in the Central Division and Western Conference. Head coach Jared Bednar revealed to the media on Tuesday that center Nazem Kadri has suffered a lower-body injury and is set to miss “weeks, not days.” Kadri was injured in the second period on Sunday against the Minnesota Wild and return for just one shift in the third period before exiting the game.

Kadri, 29, has played an integral role for the Avalanche this season after coming over from the Toronto Maple Leafs this summer. In a campaign that has featured lengthy absences from the likes of Mikko Rantanen and Gabriel Landeskog, Kadri has been a steady secondary scorer for Colorado, recording 19 goals – second only to Nathan MacKinnon – and 36 points. Had Kadri stayed healthy, he would have been on pace for the second-best season of his career. He has also been far and away the team’s best face-off man and among the leading forwards in power play time and hits.

Kadri’s absence, especially as the Avs are in the midst of a 7-1-2 run a rolling on all cylinders, is a stroke of bad luck for player and team. The good news is that the injury occurred prior to the trade deadline, with enough time to react and refocus their trade pursuits. Colorado was already considered a top buyer at the deadline, given their position in the standings and considerable cap space, but now they have even more incentive to add depth up front. It’s fair to consider the Avalanche players for nearly every top name on the market. In the meantime, the team will have to lean more heavily on their other secondary scorers, particularly centers J.T. Compher and Tyson Jost, and hope that slumping star Landeskog can rediscover his game. Colorado will need help in some way, shape, or form as they await a return from Kadri, likely not until next month.

Jason Spezza Hoping To Play Next Season

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It looked for a little while like Jason Spezza’s career was coming to an end. After struggling through his final two seasons with the Dallas Stars, Spezza was forced to settle for a one-year $700K deal with his hometown Toronto Maple Leafs. Made a healthy scratch on opening day and several times after that, the 36-year old was barely hanging on. Things have changed since Mike Babcock was fired from his position as head coach however, and now things are looking up for the veteran center.

Chris Johnston of Sportsnet spoke with the Maple Leafs’ forward today, who explained that he is already hoping to play next season. Spezza’s “I don’t see why not” is exactly what you should expect from a player who has suddenly become a key part of Toronto’s playoff chase and looks like he has turned the clock back a decade.

Spezza’s 2.04 even-strength points/60 ranks only behind William Nylander (2.52), Mitch Marner (2.51) and Auston Matthews (2.50) for the team lead among those on the roster, meaning he’s doing more with his limited ice time than most of those younger options. Given the league minimum contract he’s on, that’s exactly the kind of bargain that will attract plenty of interest on the open market.

What isn’t clear at this point is whether Spezza would be willing to give the Maple Leafs another discount next season. For now he’ll have to just focus on getting his childhood team into the playoffs, a place he actually hasn’t spent all that much time over the years. Despite having over 1,100 regular season games in the NHL, Spezza has only 80 postseason appearances.

Trade Rumors: Canucks, Tatar, Petry, Maple Leafs, Pageau

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With little cap space anyway, many were not expecting the Vancouver Canucks to be particularly active at the trade deadline. However, that viewpoint may have changed after forward Brock Boeser suffered an upper-body injury Saturday against the Calgary. While the extent of the injury is unknown, head coach Travis Green said after the game that Boeser would be out “for a bit.”

NHL.com’s Tracey Myers writes that the Canucks may be looking for a forward at the trade deadline, especially with the team hanging on to first place in the Pacific Division by just one point with four teams breathing down their necks. The team is expecting to get back forward Micheal Ferland soon, but Ferland isn’t likely to provide the offense the team gets from Boeser, who has 16 goals and 45 points, third on the team in scoring.

  • Plenty of rumors have come up regarding two players with the Montreal Canadiens, including defenseman Jeff Petry and forward Tomas Tatar. Both Petry and Tatar would be valuable trade chips for the Canadiens as they both have one year remaining after this one with reasonable contracts ($5.5MM for Petry; $4.8MM for Tatar). Both are having impressive seasons as well, making them even more intriguing. However, TVA’s Renaud Lavoie reports that he has been told that neither player is being shopped and the team will wait until they are closer to the deadline to see whether they are any closer in the standings to competing for a playoff spot before deciding on whether they would move any of their unrestricted free agents, which could include Ilya Kovalchuk, Nate Thompson or Marco Scandella.
  • Now that the backup goaltender position has been taken care of, the Toronto Maple Leafs are thought to need to add to their defense before the deadline. However, Elliotte Friedman on Hockey Night in Canada reports that the Maple Leafs intend to wait until closer to the deadline before they consider making another move. The team currently has Cody Ceci on long-term injured reserve and the team wants to wait to see his status in a couple weeks before making a final decision. “Toronto is going to wait,” Friedman said. “Morgan Rielly has a doctor’s appointment next week, they still want to see what his future is, also the health of Cody Ceci, which they’ll know more about probably in a couple of weeks.”
  • On the same Hockey Night in Canada last night, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that while the New York Rangers have started negotiating with soon-to-be unrestricted free-agent Chris Kreider to see if a reasonable deal can be worked out, the Ottawa Senators have not started to negotiate with Jean-Gabriel Pageau, suggesting that he is a strong candidate to be dealt at the trade deadline with several suitors likely lining up to acquire him.

Frederik Andersen Ruled Out Through The Weekend, No Timetable For His Return

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  • Maple Leafs goaltender Frederik Andersen has been ruled out through the weekend due to his neck injury, notes TSN’s Kristen Shilton (Twitter link). Head coach Sheldon Keefe indicated that it’s difficult to peg a timeline for his return but that he is working through drills.  In the meantime, Michael Hutchinson will serve as the backup to newcomer Jack Campbell but will likely be waived once Andersen is ready to return.

Cody Ceci Placed On Injured Reserve

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After suffering a high-ankle sprain earlier this week, Cody Ceci has been placed on injured reserve by the Toronto Maple Leafs. The team has recalled Timothy Liljegren in his place. Ceci will be re-evaluated in a month’s time.

Toronto is now without Ceci and Morgan Rielly indefinitely, putting even more pressure on their defensive group. With the trade deadline just a few weeks away it also may lead to even more urgency for GM Kyle Dubas, though after making a recent move to solidify the backup goaltending position he was clear the team is looking for a long-term fix on the blueline instead of targeting the rental market.

The real decisions will likely have to wait a week until they know a more accurate timeline for Rielly. If the star defenseman is going to be out for the rest of the season they can use his cap space to land a bigger name. Otherwise, they’ll have to leave enough room for his return off long-term injured reserve before the playoffs.

For Liljegren, this is the biggest opportunity of his young career. The 20-year old was selected 17th overall in 2017 but has played in the minor leagues for all but one game to this point. Arguably one of the better two-way defensemen in the AHL at the moment, he has 29 points in 38 games for the Toronto Marlies while being used in all situations. For a team that has been desperately searching for help on the right side, the right-handed Lilejegren may get a chance to stick around.

Trade Rumors: Flames, Maple Leafs, Martinez, Simmonds

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Trade deadline season is in full swing and TSN’s “Insider Trading” segment this evening with Darren Dreger and Piere LeBrun was chock full of hints as to what may happen over the next few weeks. The pair began with the most pressing story, which is in regards to the news earlier today that Calgary Flames captain Mark Giordano is out “week-to-week” with a lower-body injury. The situation reportedly could have been worse and Giordano may have needed surgery that would have kept him out long term, so in a way Calgary got lucky. However, with the Flames fighting for a playoff spot in the Western Conference, this major absence is bound to shift their plans at the deadline. The team has been focused on acquiring a right-shot forward, even allegedly dangling impending UFA defenseman T.J. Brodie to get a deal done, but LeBrun notes that Brodie is now much more unlikely to move. Not only are Brodie and fellow free agent-to-be Travis Hamonic likely safe, but LeBrun adds that the team will consider adding on defense as well if Giordano’s availability remains in question. As for what the Flames may use as their primary trade bait now, Dreger reports that Sam Bennett could finally be on the move. The disappointing young forward is not necessarily on the block, but Dreger hears from many around the league who feel Bennett needs a fresh start and Calgary may oblige him if it helps to land them another top-six forward.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs may have unofficially launched the trade deadline frenzy on Wednesday when they acquired goaltender Jack Campbell and forward Kyle Clifford from the Los Angeles Kings. Yet, even for a team currently on the outside of the playoff picture, Dreger reports that the Leafs are not done. He notes that the deal with L.A. did not address Toronto’s biggest need, which is a top-four defenseman. He says that the recent injury to Cody Ceci, expected to be out for at least a month, combined with the continued absence of Morgan Rielly will keep the Maple Leafs in the defense market if they want to contend for a postseason berth. Dreger mentions that the Kings’ willingness to retain salary should allow the Leafs to land a top-four defenseman if they can find the right deal, assuming one of Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson, or Alex Kerfoot would be heading the other way.
  • The Kings, of course, are also not done. They are having another fire sale this year and a number of valuable pieces may still move. Among them is veteran defenseman Alec Martinez. LeBrun believes that the Maple Leafs were not interested in Martinez, but other teams are. One such suitor is Toronto’s biggest competition for an Atlantic Division playoff bid, the Florida Panthers. According to LeBrun, the Panthers are “absolutely looking” at Martinez, who still has one year remaining on his contract. Another team looking to upgrade their blue line who have an eye on Martinez are the Winnipeg Jets. Whether Florida, Winnipeg, or another contender ends up landing the capable defenseman, the buyer will not be getting any sort of discount. LeBrun relays that the asking price is a second-round pick and either another good pick or a good prospect.
  • In Vancouver, the season is going as well as anyone could have expected and the team is hoping to solidify their lineup before the postseason. While the team seems unlikely to spend immensely, they are hoping to plug some holes. One such gap has been created by the injury to Micheal Ferland. Ferland has been out for almost two months and the team is missing his physical play and goal scoring ability. Ferland signed with the Canucks this summer and was expected to play a major role, but has been unable to stay on the ice. As a result, LeBrun reports that the Canucks are revisiting a player that nearly chose over Ferland this off-season in Wayne Simmonds. Simmonds, who instead signed a one-year deal with the New Jersey Devils, again finds himself as a rental candidate and Vancouver remains interested. LeBrun believes that the team will wait to see what the long-term outlook on Ferland is for the remainder of this season, but bad news could trigger a trade to bring in Simmonds.

Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Jack Campbell, Kyle Clifford

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will not wait any longer for an upgrade in net. After falling to the New York Rangers tonight, the team has acquired Jack Campbell and Kyle Clifford from the Los Angeles Kings. In return, the Kings will receive depth forward Trevor Moore, a third-round pick in 2020 (CBJ) and a conditional third-round pick in 2021. That pick will become a second if the team re-signs Clifford or the Maple Leafs make the playoffs and Campbell wins six regular season games. The Kings will also retain 50% of Clifford’s remaining salary.

Toronto had been struggling all season to find a reliable backup goaltender and with Frederik Andersen’s recent injury, were forced to play Michael Hutchinson again this evening. After four goals against—including one laughable mishap where Hutchinson fell down and lost his stick—Maple Leafs’ GM Kyle Dubas had apparently seen enough. It comes as little surprise that Campbell would be a target of Dubas, who once traded for the goaltender while still running the OHL’s Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds.

Campbell, 28, comes to Toronto after quite the journey. The 11th overall pick in 2010, the big goaltender had shown plenty of promise as part of the U.S. National Team Development Program. Unfortunately that success didn’t really carry over to the CHL or AHL ranks, and he struggled to even make it up the Dallas Stars’ depth chart. By 2015-16 he was splitting time between the AHL and ECHL, looking like a failed draft pick.

In came the Kings and goaltending coach Bill Ranford, who turned Campbell from a failed prospect to a part-time starter last season. Now through 58 career NHL games, he carries a .916 save percentage and a lot of hope for Maple Leafs’ fans.

Not to be forgotten in the deal is Clifford, who will cost just what remains of $800K for Toronto down the stretch. That essentially makes him the same price as Moore, though he comes with some very obvious stylistic differences. Clifford is an extremely physical forward who is willing to stand up for his teammates and punish defenders as they go back for the puck. A lack of physicality has been a critique of the Maple Leafs for some time, though we’ll have to wait and see if he can bring that on a regular basis.

For the Kings, Moore represents another potential forward piece for their rebuild. The 24-year old was signed out of the University of Denver in 2016 and produced very well at the minor league level, but was limited to mostly fourth line duties in Toronto. He has 13 points through 52 career games, but brings a ton of speed to a lineup that has been looking for it. Not only will Moore likely get a bigger opportunity in Los Angeles, but the Thousand Oaks, California native will be a lot closer to home.

Toronto Maple Leafs “Kicked Tires” On Jack Campbell

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The Toronto Maple Leafs were without Frederik Andersen at practice today as he continues to be evaluated for the upper-body injury he suffered last night. The team announced after their 5-3 loss to the Florida Panthers that Andersen—who left the game after the first period—had passed his concussion tests, but obviously they need to take things cautiously with their franchise netminder. He is now listed as day-to-day with a neck injury, but won’t travel with the team to New York. That led to Luke Fox of Sportsnet examining several potential trade options that Toronto could look at to solidify their goaltending situation, including Jack Campbell of the Los Angeles Kings.

Fox reports that Maple Leafs’ GM Kyle Dubas has “kicked tires” on Campbell, who has played in 20 games for the Kings this season and carries a .900 save percentage. That number is not something to get very excited about, but it is important to remember that the Kings have struggled in almost every facet of the game this season. Campbell did post a .928 save percentage in 31 appearances during the 2018-19 campaign.

One potential hiccup however, is the increasing salary Campbell is going to get moving forward. Though he carries just a $675K cap hit this year and could fit into the Maple Leafs’ tight financial picture, a new two-year extension kicks in for 2020-21 that has an average annual value of $1.65MM. Toronto, thanks to some incredibly large contracts signed by their star forwards, may not be able to afford a backup with that kind of deal—especially if they have any thoughts of an Andersen extension after his contract expires in 2021.

Even if Andersen proves healthy enough to return to action quickly, the Maple Leafs still may have a backup issue as they try to stay afloat in the Atlantic Division playoff race. The team hasn’t been able to rely on backup Michael Hutchinson, as evidenced by his performance last night in relief. Hutchinson allowed three goals on 13 shots, lowering his season save percentage to .886, fourth-worst in the league among goaltenders who have at least ten appearances.

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