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Andreas Johnsson Out Six Months

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February 19th: Johnsson has undergone surgery, but his timeline has now been changed to six months. The winger will not be available for the playoffs, but could be ready for next season’s training camp if the recovery timeline is correct.

February 14th: The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost another winger for a lengthy period of time, as head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters today including Chris Johnston of Sportsnet that Andreas Johnsson will require surgery on his injured knee. Johnsson is expected to miss at least eight weeks after suffering the injury last night.

Johnsson joins Ilya Mikheyev, Cody Ceci and Morgan Rielly on the sidelines for the Maple Leafs, who suddenly have real question marks in the forward group as they try to navigate the last part of the season. If the team wants to make any sort of meaningful upgrade on defense, Johnsson or Kasperi Kapanen seemed the most likely candidates to be traded. With an injury of this magnitude Johnsson may now be out of the question, given teams won’t know exactly what they’re receiving.

The Maple Leafs do however have a little more cap flexibility after this news. Johnsson can now be placed on long-term injured reserve through the end of the season, opening up his $3.4MM in cap space for a deadline acquisition. It is still complicated, but could provide some relief if the team is after a replacement or defensive upgrade.

It’s an unfortunate end to the season for Johnsson however, who only recently returned from another injury. The 25-year old forward will finish with just eight goals and 21 points in 43 games, a far cry from the 20-goal season he put up last year as a rookie. It also puts a little more pressure on him moving forward, given his $3.4MM salary through the next three seasons.

There is a chance that the speedy forward returns for the playoffs, but the Maple Leafs will have to get there first. Once in the postseason, there is no longer a salary cap for the team to abide by, meaning they can activate their injured players.

Jake Muzzin Extension Agreement In Place

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have defensive issues that go beyond this season, as Jake Muzzin, Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci are all scheduled to become unrestricted free agents. That is about to change however, as another report—this time from Darren Dreger of TSN—confirms that the Maple Leafs have an agreement in place with Muzzin on a four-year extension that will carry a cap hit just over $5.5MM.

Minor Transactions: 02/16/20

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The Colorado Avalanche’s opportunity to take over first place in the Central Division came up short Saturday night at the Air Force Academy in Colorado at the Coors Light Stadium Series outdoor matchup. The Los Angeles Kings got a hat trick from Tyler Toffoli, who likely raised his trade stock, and helped the Kings knock off the Avalanche, 3-1. Instead of moving into first, Colorado fell behind the Dallas Stars Saturday, who came back from a 3-0 deficit to the Montreal Canadiens to win in overtime, to move into second place. To make matters worse, both St. Louis and Dallas play Sunday, while Colorado has the day off, giving both teams a chance to extend their lead on the Avalanche. As the playoff race intensifies, teams will continue to make roster moves to strengthen their teams. Check back to see the roster moves throughout the day.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets announced Wednesday that forward Cam Atkinson would miss the next two to three weeks with a high ankle sprain. Now the team has placed Atkinson on injured reserve, retroactive to Feb. 8. The team will replace him on the roster with forward Kole Sherwood. The 23-year-old has appeared in three games with Columbus so far this season with no points, but has only averaged 6:38 of ATOI, as he tries to earn the trust of head coach John Tortorella.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced they have assigned forward Nicolas Roy to the Chicago Wolves of the AHL after being recalled on Saturday with Jonathan Marchessault questionable. However, Roy was not needed as Machessault did play, so the team returned him. Roy has six points in 19 games with Vegas this season.
  • Speaking of players who got assigned Saturday, the Winnipeg Jets announced they have recalled forward Andrei Chibisov from the Manitoba Moose of the AHL after sending him down the previous day. Chibisov is still looking to make his NHL debut. The 26-year-old, signed out of the KHL last June, has seven goals and 24 points in 48 games with the Moose. It’s expected that Chibisov will make his debut Sunday.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have brought up two young prospects in forward Egor Korshkov and Mason Marchment from the Toronto Marlies of the AHL. The 6-foot-4 Korshkov, the team’s 31st pick in 2016, finally came over from Russia this summer and has fared well in the AHL, scoring 14 goals in 35 games, could make his NHL debut if he gets into a game. Marchment has appeared in three games for the Maple Leafs, but has been on a tear since the team returned him to the AHL on Jan. 14. He has eight goals in the past five games with the Marlies. With the recall of two players, CapFriendly reports that Toronto placed Andreas Johnsson on long-term injured reserve. Johnsson was deemed to be out for the next eight weeks on Friday with a knee injury.
  • The Ottawa Senators announced they have recalled defenseman Andreas Englund from the Belleville Senators of the AHL. Englund has been up and down all season. The 24-year-old has two assists in 12 games for Ottawa, but is actually scoreless in 22 games with Belleville.
  • After acquiring Andy Greene in a trade from the New Jersey Devils, the New York Islanders have sent Sebastian Aho back to the minor leagues. Greene will join the Islanders on the road in Arizona where they face the Coyotes tomorrow.
  • The Colorado Avalanche have recalled Hunter Miska, just a few days after signing him to an NHL contract. Miska will likely serve as backup for Pavel Francouz after Philipp Grubauer was injured last night.

Toronto, Jake Muzzin Close To A Four-Year Extension

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The Toronto Maple Leafs only has five defensemen on their current roster under contract for next season with Jake Muzzin and Tyson Barrie scheduled to hit unrestricted free agency on July 1. That may be changing. The Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby writes that the Maple Leafs and Muzzin are close to agreeing to a four-year contract, with many suggesting it will be in the $5.5MM range.

However, that deal may have to wait before it is official. There is a stipulation in the collective bargaining agreement that might force Toronto to wait until Mar. 1 when the ceiling for money allocated towards next season’s salary cap increases, according to Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston, Saturday on Hockey Night in Canada.

“You can only commit so much salary to the season following the one you’re in, but that amount goes up by 10 per cent on March 1,” Johnston said. “So it does seem as though the Leafs and Jake Muzzin are on the path here to reaching a contract extension, but I wouldn’t be surprised if everything isn’t signed, sealed and delivered until after that date.”

There has been speculation for weeks on which free-agent, Toronto should focus on with Muzzin being the likely candidate, but the blueliner will turn 31 years old in five days and there was concern about giving Muzzin, a player who wears two knee braces and has had back surgery earlier in his career, a long-term deal. Even four years would take Muzzin into his age 35 year. However, if the AAV is close to the rumored $5.5MM, then it is only a $1.5MM raise, which the team should be able to afford.

Regardless, Muzzin has been a steady defensive influence for a team that desperately needs it. He has just four goals and 16 points on the season, but carries a plus-six rating, while averaging 21:37 of ice time for Toronto. He also has 101 hits and 86 blocked shots, making him a well-rounded defenseman that Toronto needs on the ice.

East Notes: Muzzin, Flyers, Bogosian, Hischier

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The Toronto Maple Leafs are currently in discussion with pending unrestricted free-agent defenseman Jake Muzzin. However, with the team’s cap situation next season and the fact that their top two blueliners, Muzzin and Tyson Barrie, will both be UFAs this summer, it becomes quite an interesting negotiations.

In fact, The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) writes that the Maple Leafs have a challenging negotiations in front of them. While Muzzin is a local, the team has to consider his age before signing him as he will turn 31 next week and the team cannot afford to be loaded down with a player down the road with a long-term deal. Unfortunately, Mirtle writes that Muzzin isn’t signing with Toronto on a short-term deal and suggests that it likely would be a four to five-year pact at about $5MM.

If the team does sign him to a contract similar to that, it is important that Toronto signs him to a front-loaded contract, which might make him more attractive to other teams later in the deal, which might allow Toronto to move him later on in the deal if he doesn’t age well. That might be the best-case scenario for the franchise, according to Mirtle.

  • The Philadelphia Flyers are in an interesting position as the trade deadline nears. After falling to the Tampa Bay Lightning Saturday, the Flyers are now holding onto the last wild card playoff berth in the Eastern Conference. Yet, The Athletic’s Charlie O’Connor (subscription required) writes that the Flyers will be buyers no matter what at the trade deadline. Regardless, the team likely won’t be going after the big names on the market as the team lacks the cap space to do that and in reality, Philadelphia isn’t really a Stanley Cup contender just yet. Nor is the team ready to move a first-round pick for player either. However, O’Connor adds that the team is far more likely to add a lower-level target, most likely upgrading at the wing.
  • The Buffalo News’ Lance Lysowski reports that while defenseman Zach Bogosian has cleared waivers and been assigned to the Rochester Americans of the AHL, Bogosian’s agent, Darren Ferris said the two will meet in the next couple days and to discuss his next step, which will include whether Bogosian accepts the assignment to Rochester. The injury-prone 29-year-old has only appeared in five AHL games in his career, back during the 2008-09 season and may not be too keen on returning there at this point in his career.
  • NHL.com’s Amanda Stein reports that there is a good chance that all-star center Nico Hischier could return to the team on Sunday. Hischier, who has been out of the lineup since Feb. 1 with a knee injury, would give the team a significant boost if ready to return. Hischier has 13 goals and 32 points in 46 games.

Michael Hutchinson Clears Waivers

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Friday: Hutchinson has cleared waivers. He has been assigned to the minor leagues along with Pontus Aberg.

Thursday: With the news that Frederik Andersen is ready to return to action, the Toronto Maple Leafs have placed Michael Hutchinson on waivers. Hutchinson lost his backup role with the Maple Leafs when they acquired Jack Campbell, and will now be sent to the minor leagues should he clear waivers tomorrow.

It hasn’t been an easy role for the Maple Leafs to fill since Curtis McElhinney left for greener pastures in the summer of 2018, but it appears as though Campbell has the full trust of the coaching staff and his teammates. That isn’t something that Hutchinson was ever really able to acquire, even with his history of success at every level. Before an ill-fated stop over with the Florida Panthers, Hutchinson had recorded a .910 save percentage in 102 games with the Winnipeg Jets and even better numbers in the minor leagues. This year was the epitome of inconsistency however, and he’ll leave the team with a 4-9-1 record and .886 save percentage.

It’s hard to see anyone claiming Hutchinson after he already cleared waivers in November, unless they need an injury replacement for a short period of time. If he does clear, having a goaltender with that much NHL experience sitting the minor leagues is never a bad thing, though it would certainly complicate the Toronto Marlies’ situation.

Hutchinson will be an unrestricted free agent at the end of the season. His entire cap hit will come off the books if assigned to the minor leagues.

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.

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