Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Maple Leafs Rumors

Atlantic Notes: Hyman, Bobrovsky, Hainsey

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Zach Hyman has never been fully appreciated by Toronto fans over the years, but the forward, who has sat out all season so far after undergoing offseason knee surgery this summer, has been strangely missed as the Toronto Maple Leafs have struggled out of the gate.

A favorite of head coach Mike Babcock due to his work ethic and attitude, Hyman is close to returning with many believing he might be ready to return this weekend. That hasn’t happened, but the winger believes he’ll be ready soon, according to The Star’s Kevin McGran. Hyman is traveling with the team, but there is no word on when he might be activated.

“Honestly, it’s not my decision,” he says. “I mean, I have a say in it, but we have a great medical staff, great therapists, great strength coaches, great doctors where you don’t make a decision by yourself.”

  • Wells Dusenbury of the South Florida Sun Sentinel writes that despite the slow start of Florida Panthers goaltender Sergei Bobrovsky, head coach Joel Quenneville isn’t worried about the two-time Vezina Trophy winner. Bobrovsky, who signed a seven-year, $70MM contract this summer with Florida, hasn’t been too impressive in his first 11 appearances with the Panthers, posting a 5-2-3 record with a 3.71 GAA and a .873 save percentage, numbers that are second-to-last among goalies who have appeared in at least eight games. “I think the way we’re playing, he’s getting comfortable in how we play in front of him,” Quenneville said. “I think eventually the goals against is something we can improve as a group of defenseman in our team game. I think the second opportunities, whether we take more responsibility in that area, we can clean that up and help him.”
  • Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun writes that while the Ottawa Senators brought in defenseman Ron Hainsey over from Toronto this summer in free agency to fill a veteran defensive void in their lineup, there was a secondary reason as well. The scribe writes that one major benefit of having Hainsey around is having him mentor top prospect Erik Brannstrom in his rookie campaign. Hainsey has been paired with Brannstrom since the first day of training camp and the two have stayed together almost exclusively. “There’s been a lot of information thrown at him in a short amount of time in the (six weeks) since we went to training camp to now,” Hainsey said before facing the Boston Bruins on Saturday night at TD Garden. “In some situations in the game, it’s easy, it’s like, ‘Hey, maybe we should try to do it this way.’ Other times, it’s better for me to be quiet and let him go about his way. He’s got plenty of people and coaches giving him stuff 24/7 and it’s a lot for a young player to take in when you’re playing against the best players in the world. It’s not like we’ve been matched against the top guys, but we’ve been out against everybody at some point.”

John Tavares To Miss One More Game

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

  • While the Maple Leafs were hoping to have center John Tavares back tonight, that won’t be the case. However, Tavares told reporters, including TSN’s Mark Masters, (Twitter link) that he hasn’t suffered a setback.  Instead, with Toronto being off until Tuesday, the team doctors have decided that an extra three days of rest would be most beneficial for him.

Doug Gilmour Leaves Kingston, Joins Maple Leafs

at CDT | by 3 Comments

One of the most celebrated Toronto Maple Leafs forwards of all-time is returning to the organization, as Doug Gilmour announced today that he is leaving the Kingston Frontenacs after more than a decade. Gilmour will leave his position as president of the OHL franchise to join the Maple Leafs as a community ambassador.

Serving in several different roles for Kingston over the last decade including head coach, general manager and president of hockey operations, Gilmour explained his decision to leave in a piece with Dan Robson of The Athletic (subscription required):

Now it’s time for a new opportunity, back in my other home — Toronto. I’m excited to spend more time with my family because they mean more to me than the game ever could. I’m proud to watch my two sons, Tyson and Jake, grow into incredible young men. I’m thrilled to be close to my eldest daughter Maddison, who lives with her beautiful family in the Niagara region. And I’m so fortunate to be able to spend more family time with Sonya and Victoria, who both amaze me every day.

Gilmour leaves the Frontenacs just as they enter an extremely exciting time, headlined by forward Shane Wright. The 15-year old Wright follows Connor McDavid, Aaron Ekblad, John Tavares and Sean Day as an exceptional status player allowed to enter the OHL a year early, and already has 11 points in 14 games for Kingston.

Though he actually played only 393 of his 1,474 career games with the Maple Leafs, Gilmour is revered in Toronto as one of the greatest players in franchise history. He was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 2011, and his number 93 was retired by the Maple Leafs in 2016.

Minor Transactions: 11/01/19

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The ghouls and goblins are finished their annual haunt and we’re on to November in the NHL regular season. With the new month comes eight games, including a prime matchup between the Buffalo Sabres and Washington Capitals for first place in the Eastern Conference. It has been a long time since Buffalo fans could say that about their team, but after a 9-2-2 start they sit among the elite in the NHL.

As always, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves leading up to tonight’s action:

  • The Capitals have recalled Liam O’Brien from the minor leagues, with Nic Dowd and Evgeny Kuznetsov dealing with minor injuries. O’Brien has three points in nine AHL games this season but hasn’t suited up for an NHL contest since 2017-18.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have sent Nic Petan to the minor leagues, perhaps in preparation for John Tavares’ return. Petan actually cleared waivers just before the season started, meaning he can be one of the players Toronto removes from the roster without risking him to the rest of the league. The team had been trying to find a landing spot for Petan to give him a better opportunity, but that doesn’t appear to have worked so far.
  • C.J. Suess has been recalled by the Winnipeg Jets, giving them another forward option as they start the weekend. Suess has one goal in eight games for the Manitoba Moose this year, and would be making his NHL debut if he gets into any game action with the Jets.
  • The Edmonton Oilers have flipped William Lagesson to the minor leagues while bringing up Colby Cave, who previously cleared waivers and has spent the last few weeks with the Bakersfield Condors.
  • The Buffalo Sabres’ top goalie prospect is ready to return to action. After beginning the season on the injured reserve, Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen has finally been cleared to play and has been reassigned to the ECHL’s Cincinnati Cyclones by the AHL’s Rochester Americans. The first-year pro will have to work his way up from the “AA” level, but given his dominance of both the OHL and World Junior Championship last year, that likely won’t be a problem.
  • Also returning to action is Carolina Hurricanes prospect Stelio Mattheos. After helping the Charlotte Checkers capture the Calder Cup last year, Mattheos was diagnosed with testicular cancer and underwent treatment this summer. The Checkers announced that he will officially return to the lineup on Friday night.
  • The AHL lists the Boston Bruins as recalling forward Peter Cehlarik from AHL Providence, although the team has not formally announced the move. This could be because of some doubts as to whether Brett Ritchie will be able to go on Saturday against the Ottawa Senators. If he can, the Bruins would quietly return Cehlarik to the minors. If not, Providence’s leading scorer would be a candidate to replace Ritchie in the lineup, competing with David Backes and Par Lindholm. 

Toronto Maple Leafs Open To Trading Martin Marincin

at CDT | by 5 Comments

Though it may not come as much of a surprise, Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet writes that the Toronto Maple Leafs would be open to trading Martin Marincin. After starting the year on the Maple Leafs’ third pairing, Marincin was recently replaced by Kevin Gravel in the lineup and now Travis Dermott has returned from injury to take the spot full-time. That leaves Marincin sitting in the press box every night and even that may be short lived.

The Maple Leafs will likely have to send three players to the minor leagues when Zach Hyman returns from long-term injured reserve in the next few weeks, and Marincin is expected to be one of them. The 27-year old defenseman would need to clear waivers in order to report to the AHL however, at which point any team in the league would be able to claim him.

Like Nic Petan, who is also available according to Friedman, Marincin hasn’t been able to establish himself as a favorite of head coach Mike Babcock and now finds himself without a real future in Toronto. The Marlies of the AHL already have a loaded group of defensemen, meaning if GM Kyle Dubas and the Toronto front office can find any value on the trade market it would obviously be worth it.

Another way this may play out however is for Marincin to hit waivers when Hyman returns, only to clear and then be traded. He cleared waivers as recently as this February, and it would give any acquiring team much more flexibility. They could then send Marincin to their own minor league affiliate to keep as depth.

In any case, whether he is available or not there’s little chance he’ll provide a big return for the Maple Leafs. In 207 career NHL games he’s shown little ability to perform at a high level, providing most of his value on the penalty kill. He has 30 points in those games, but none this season.

Minor Transactions: 10/29/19

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

After a relatively quiet night the NHL is back with a bang tonight, featuring nine games on the schedule. That includes a return for Bill Peters and the rest of the former Hurricanes when the Calgary Flames travel to Carolina and Ryan McDonagh leading the Tampa Bay Lightning back into his old barn at Madison Square Garden. As teams prepare for the action, we’ll be right here keeping track of all the minor moves around the hockey world.

  • The Detroit Red Wings have recalled Joe Hicketts from the AHL, placing Justin Abdelkader on injured reserve to make room. Abdelkader’s stint is retroactive to October 23rd, but given their recent acquisition of Brendan Perlini they didn’t need to add another forward from the minor leagues.
  • Colin Blackwell has been recalled from the minor leagues by the Nashville Predators, giving the diminutive forward another shot in the NHL. Blackwell played six games for the Predators last season, but is still looking for his first point at the NHL level.
  • The Los Angeles Kings have recalled prospect Carl Grundstrom, giving him another chance at the NHL level. Grundstrom has been running roughshod over the AHL so far this season, scoring five goals and seven points in four games. The second-round pick looks ready to contribute for the Kings, though how much ice time he’ll receive is unclear.
  • Travis Dermott has been activated from injured reserve as expected by the Toronto Maple Leafs, meaning they needed to make one roster move to clear room. Kevin Gravel is that move, as he’s on the way to the AHL after playing in the last few contests for Toronto. Dermott is back from offseason shoulder surgery and will try to help the spinning Maple Leafs regain control of their season.
  • The Detroit Red Wings have activated Adam Erne from injured reserve, sending Evgeny Svechnikov back to the minor leagues. Svechnikov will have to wait for his first chance to play his younger brother, unless of course he is recalled again before Friday’s matchup with the Carolina Hurricanes.
  • William Borgen is on his way back to the Rochester Americans once again, the fourth transaction of the last five days for the young defenseman. Borgen has actually not played a single game for the Buffalo Sabres this season, but is being used as insurance as they deal with some injuries.

Zach Hyman May Miss Another Week Or Two

at CDT | by 2 Comments

  • While the Maple Leafs will activate defenseman Travis Dermott off LTIR for Tuesday’s game against Washington, winger Zach Hyman hasn’t been cleared to return and could still be a week or two away from playing, suggests TSN’s Kristen Shilton (Twitter link). Toronto will have to clear up some cap room to activate Dermott and will have to free up even more space to bring his $2.25MM AAV back onto the books.

Atlantic Notes: Bruins Trade Options, Krug, Dermott

at CDT | by 7 Comments

The Boston Bruins are right near the top of the Atlantic Division with a 7-1-2 record, good enough for second place. However, with injuries rising and a lack of production beyond the top line of Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak, who have combined for 41 points, no forward has more than three points this season, leaving quite a few question marks when a team finds a way to shut down the Bruins’ first line.

Throw in the recent injuries to the team and NBC Sports’ Joe Haggerty looks at numerous trade possibilities that general manager Don Sweeney might be looking at. Many of the trade possibilities suggested might be a challenge for Boston to pull off, especially the likely high price tag of New Jersey’s Taylor Hall and Vegas’ Alex Tuch.

However, he does point out that the team has options with common trade partners like Minnesota (Jason Zucker) or the New York Rangers (Chris Kreider), although Kreider would be only seen as a rental despite his Boston background. The team could also look to rent Mike Hoffman from the Florida Panthers as well.

However, even Haggerty points out that the team might look to bring in their own prospects. The play of Anders Bjork could be the team’s first option. The 23-year-old scored a goal Saturday night, suggesting he could be an answer to some of the team’s secondary scoring woes, although he must show consistency, something the team has struggled with this season.

  • With the impending returns of defensemen Kevan Miller and John Moore, both currently on injured reserve, Boston Hockey Now’s Jimmy Murphy writes that the Boston Bruins will then have nine defensemen on their NHL roster and the team will likely either have to make a trade or send a player to the AHL. While Moore’s return is more uncertain, Miller could be back by early November. Connor Clifton would be a candidate to send to the NHL, but could require waivers by early November, which might be something that Boston would want to avoid. A trade could make quite a bit of sense, but is the team ready to move Torey Krug? The team could use some offense, so moving Krug to a team like Winnipeg who needs a top-four blueliner might makes some sense. Krug is one of the few players faring well in Boston as the defenseman has eight points in 10 games so far this year.
  • The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel reports that Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Travis Dermott is likely to return to the lineup on Tuesday against Washinton. Dermott has been out all season due to offseason shoulder surgery. That could start a chain reaction of roster moves from Toronto, who also has Zach Hyman close to returning from LTIR. Once both are back, the Maple Leafs could be forced to make as many as four roster moves to get both players back on the roster.

Pacific Notes: Dillon, Schmidt, Subban, Gudbranson

at CDT | by 3 Comments

Many in Toronto, after watching a San Jose Sharks’ hit against Auston Matthews Friday night, felt that the Sharks’ Brenden Dillon deserved to have the hit looked at by the Department of Player Safety. However, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reports that Dillon won’t face any supplemental discipline for the hit as the belief is that the head was not the main point of contact.

Dillon hit Matthews at 11:30 in the second period of Friday’s game just as Matthews was entering the Sharks’ offensive zone as Dillon’s hands appeared to go high on the Maple Leafs’ forward. There was no penalty on the play. Matthews left the game and underwent concussion protocol. However, he did return in the third period.

  • After a embarrassing performance against the Colorado Avalanche on Friday, the Vegas Golden Knights got a hint at the potential return of one of their top players as Vegas’ head coach Gerard Gallant said that defenseman Nate Schmidt could be close to a return. “I’d love to have him in my lineup, trust me, and he’s going to be there soon,” said Gallant, via Ken Boehlke of Sinbin.vegas. Schmidt suffered a lower-body injury on the first game of the season and has been out ever since. However, he has resumed skating. Considered to be the team’s top defenseman, the team is eager to get him back into their lineup.
  • David Schoen of the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes that the Vegas Golden Knights could be getting back goaltender Malcolm Subban soon. The backup goaltender suffered a lower-body injury and has missed eight straight games. However, the scribe reports that his equipment was seen in front of his locker, which would suggest he’s ready to skate and could return to the lineup soon. Garrett Sparks is currently the backup for Vegas.
  • After attempting to add both Kevin Shattenkirk and Justin Faulk earlier this year, the Anaheim Ducks finally were able to trade for a veteran defenseman Friday when they acquired blueliner Erik Gudbranson. In fact, the Ducks had been interested in acquiring him for quite a while, according to Eric Stephens of The Athletic (subscription required). “This is something we have been looking at for some time. We haven’t been tough enough to play against and hopefully Erik can help us address part of that need,” general manager Bob Murray said.

Snapshots: Three Stars, Spooner, Okulov

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The NHL has released their Three Stars for last week, and Boston Bruins fans will be happy to know that David Pastrnak’s performance was not overlooked. The young forward took home the top spot after scoring seven goals in three games including a four-goal performance against the Anaheim Ducks. Pastrnak is now tied with James Neal for the league lead in goals with nine.

Not to be forgotten however are John Carlson and Carter Hutton that took home second and third respectively. Carlson continues to lead the NHL in scoring with 18 points (including eight last week) and has been an absolute force for the Washington Capitals early. Hutton meanwhile stopped all 72 shots he faces last week including 47 in a single game to shutout the Los Angeles Kings. If the Buffalo Sabres netminder can continue to provide this kind of performance, the team may well have a chance to fight for that divisional playoff spot that they’ve coveted for so long.

  • Ryan Spooner has changed teams again, but that doesn’t mean he’s coming back to North America. The former NHL forward will join Dynamo Minsk in the KHL for the rest of the season, leaving HC Lugano of the Swiss NLA. Spooner is still just 27, but spent time with three different NHL organizations last season and can’t seem to find a home anywhere.
  • Following up on the recent report linking the Toronto Maple Leafs to Konstantin Okulov, Igor Eronko of Sport-Express confirms that the Russian forward has indeed spoken to Mike Babcock already. Okulov has 13 points through his first 17 games in the KHL this season and is a potential target for teams looking to add international talent next summer.

Pro Hockey Rumors is not affiliated with National Hockey League, NHL or NHL.com

Do not Sell or Share My Personal Information

scroll to top