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Toronto’s Jake Muzzin Out Week-To-Week With Broken Foot

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The injury hits keep coming in Toronto. Already having announced Friday that Trevor Moore would be out indefinitely with a concussion and then announcing Saturday morning that Ilya Mikheyev is out for at least three months due to a wrist laceration, the Maple Leafs announced that defenseman Jake Muzzin is out week-to-week with a broken foot.

“Week to week at this point,” said head coach Sheldon Keefe. “They need a little more time to get more tests done to determine the full extent of it.”

Keefe told reporters that Muzzin suffered the injury during the first period of Friday’s overtime victory over the New Jersey Devils. However, Muzzin stayed in the game and played 20:59 during the game. Teammate Justin Holl (via Toronto Sun’s Terry Korshan) said that Muzzin told him during the game that he believed he had broken his toe.

The injury also explains the team’s roster moves earlier today. After the team announced Mikheyev’s injury, it recalled two players, including forward Kenny Agostino as well as defenseman Timothy Liljegren. Now that the team has revealed Muzzin’s injury, it helps explain Liljegren’s recall as he will help fill in on the blueline, although his NHL debut will have to wait as The Athletic’s Jonas Siegel reports that the team will use defenseman Martin Marincin to fill in for Muzzin.

Muzzin is second on the team in ATOI, averaging 21:21 and has three goals and 13 points in 38 games and a plus-eight with the Maple Leafs.

Minor Transactions: 12/28/19

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The NHL returned to work last night, with several strange results to kick off the unofficial second half of the season. The Maple Leafs beat the Devils in overtime on a goal in which they never touched the puck, the Sabres were shutout 3-0 in a game in which they outshot the Bruins, and the Wild, Blackhawks, and Ducks all pulled off convincing upsets. As more teams return to action today, it promises to be a busy stretch for roster changes, as evidenced by a multitude of moves early on. Follow along with all of the day’s transactions here:

  • The Ottawa Senators have recalled two and reassigned one, adding forward J.C. Beaudin and defenseman Christian Jaros and sending forward Logan Brown to AHL Belleville. Brown will surely be disappointed after expressing his frustration with his role in Ottawa earlier this season. At the same time, the young forward has not exactly dominated in his 23 games with the team this season, recording one goal and eight points.
  • After being sent down (in a paper transaction) yesterday, Mathieu Joseph is back with the Tampa Bay Lightning, the team announced. With Carter Verhaeghe still sidelined, Joseph is needed in the Bolts lineup. He’ll need to make the most of the opportunity though, as his seven points so far this season have him off the pace of his 26-point rookie campaign.
  • Steven Fogarty has been called up by the New York Rangers, marking his first recall to the NHL this season. Fogarty played in ten games with the Rangers last year, but failed to record a point. However, his AHL numbers suggest that it’s only a matter of time before he gets that first point.
  • The New Jersey Devils have activated goaltender Louis Domingue from the injured reserve and assigned him to AHL Binghamton. With Gilles Senn currently backing up MacKenzie Blackwood, the Devils don’t need Domingue at the present time. His six appearances with New Jersey prior to his injury did little to convince the team that he is worthy of a permanent roster spot.
  • The Vegas Golden Knights announced that they have recalled winger Keegan Kolesar from Chicago of the AHL.  The 22-year-old had 20 goals in the minors last season but has been held without a tally through 18 games with the Wolves this season.
  • With the recent injuries to Ilya Mikheyev and Trevor Moore, the Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled winger Kenny Agostino and defenseman Timothy Liljegren from the AHL’s Marlies.  Agostino spent most of last season in the NHL and could find himself in a regular role with Toronto relatively quickly.  Mikheyev and Moore were placed on injured reserve to make room on the roster.
  • CapFriendly reports that the Anaheim Ducks have assigned forward Daniel Sprong to the San Diego Gulls of the AHL. The 22-year-old forward was recalled a week ago and made his season debut for the Ducks, but finished with a minus-three in the game he played. He will return to the Gulls where he has seven goals and 18 points in 24 games.
  • CapFriendly reports the Boston Bruins have assigned defenseman Steven Kampfer to the Providence Bruins in the AHL. The blueliner was an emergency recall after an injury to defenseman Torey Krug. This could be a paper transaction with the team potentially recalling him officially before Sunday’s game against Buffalo.

Trevor Moore Out Indefinitely With Concussion

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have given an update on the mysterious condition of forward Trevor Moore, announcing that he will be out indefinitely with a concussion. Moore had only returned from his previous shoulder injury for a single game, but then was pulled back out of the lineup after more symptoms emerged. The team will now have to move forward without him, though they have been finding plenty of success with his replacements so far.

Moore, 24, was an undrafted free agent signing in 2016 after starring at the University of Denver and quickly developed into a reliable option for Maple Leafs coach Sheldon Keefe, who was then coaching the Toronto Marlies. In his first professional season Moore scored 13 goals and 33 points in 57 games, a total he matched the next season before performing at an incredibly high level in the Marlies’ Calder Cup championship run.

Last year the speedy forward made his debut in the NHL and was hard to take out of the lineup, even if the offensive production didn’t completely follow. After the beginning of this season Moore now has 13 points in 47 career NHL regular season games, but will have to wait for his next chance.

In the meantime, the Maple Leafs are red hot under Keefe and have found real contributors in players like Ilya Mikheyev and Pierre Engvall. Toronto will start a back-to-back tonight against the New Jersey Devils,

Minor Transactions: 12/27/19

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As the holiday season comes to an end and teams are back in action, plenty of players will be on their way back to the NHL. We’ll keep track of all the minor moves with 11 games on the schedule for tonight.

  • The Columbus Blue Jackets have recalled Adam Clendening, Gabriel Carlsson, Ryan MacInnis and Jakob Lilja, showing just how many injuries they are dealing with at the moment. All but Lilja are up under emergency conditions after placing Cam Atkinson on injured reserve.
  • The Pittsburgh Penguins, another team dealing with plenty of injuries, have recalled Kevin Czuczman, Thomas DiPauli and Joseph Blandisi. The Penguins will take on the Nashville Predators tonight as they continue to try and navigate a difficult season.
  • Jake Walman has been recalled by the St. Louis Blues ahead of their game against the Winnipeg Jets. The Blues sent Niko Mikkola down before the holidays, but perhaps they’ve decided to see what Walman can do instead.
  • Riley Stillman is on his way to join the Florida Panthers, though they won’t play until tomorrow night against the Detroit Red Wings. Stillman has spent most of the season in the AHL, but does have three games at the NHL level this year.
  • With the Toronto Maple Leafs back in action tonight, the team has recalled Martin Marincin and Adam Brooks from the AHL. Brooks, who still has yet to make his NHL debut, has 16 points in 20 minor league games and has long been a favorite of head coach Sheldon Keefe.
  • Nico Sturm has been recalled by the Minnesota Wild, after getting into four games before Christmas. Sturm is still looking for his first NHL goal, but looks like he can handle the center position, at least in limited minutes.
  • The Washington Capitals have recalled Christian Djoos in time for their game tonight against the battered Blue Jackets, as both Michal Kempny and Radko Gudas are both dealing with an illness. The two veteran defensemen are game-time decisions.
  • Andrew Ladd has been returned to the AHL by the New York Islanders, after playing in one NHL game. It appears as though the end is coming quickly for the 34-year old forward, who still has three more years on his contract but has been stuck in the minor leagues.
  • Filip Zadina, Calvin Pickard and Brian Lashoff have all been recalled by the Detroit Red Wings as they prepare for a back-to-back this weekend. The Red Wings sit in last place in the entire NHL and are already looking ahead to the draft lottery in the spring.
  • Colin Blackwell and Jarred Tinordi have both been recalled by the Nashville Predators, giving them a full 23-man roster once again. Tinordi, 27, hasn’t played in an NHL game since the 2015-16 season.
  • Curtis Lazar has been recalled by the Buffalo Sabres, who were hoping that Johan Larsson would be ready for tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins. Lazar has bounced back and forth all year, playing eight games with the Sabres and 18 with the Rochester Americans.
  • Mathieu Joseph is on his way back to the AHL once again, assigned there by the Tampa Bay Lightning today. The 22-year old forward has played in 32 games with the Lightning this season, but needs to get his game back on track and will get some more time at the minor league level to do it.

NHL Draft Picks Participating In The World Junior Championship

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The 2020 IIHF World Junior Championship is underway from Ostrava and Trinec in the Czech Republic. The tournament began today and will run through the championship game on January 5th. Each of the NHL’s 31 teams has at least one representative at the WJC. Five teams have only one draft pick participating, while the Los Angeles Kings (9) and Arizona Coyotes (7) each have more than those teams combined. However, it only takes one player and one moment to make history at the WJC. Check out which future NHLers will have that chance this year:

Anaheim Ducks (2):

G Lukas Dostal, Czech Republic
F Trevor Zegras, USA

Arizona Coyotes (7):

F Barrett Hayton, Canada
F Jan Jenik, Czech Republic
F Matias Maccelli, Finland
D Aku Raty, Finland
D Victor Soderstrom, Sweden
F Valentin Nussbaumer, Switzerland
D Ty Emberson, USA

Boston Bruins (3):

F Jakub Lauko, Czech Republic
F John Beecher, USA
F Curtis Hall, USA

Buffalo Sabres (4):

F Dylan Cozens, Canada
F Matej Pekar, Czech Republic
G Erik Portillo, Sweden
D Mattias Samuelsson, USA

Calgary Flames (1):

G Dustin Wolf, USA

Carolina Hurricanes (5):

D Anttoni Honka, Finland
F Lenni Killinen, Finland
F Patrik Puistola, Finland
F Dominik Bokk, Germany
F Jack Drury, USA

Chicago Blackhawks (2):

F Antti Saarela, Finland
F Michal Teply, Czech Republic

Colorado Avalanche (4):

D Bowen Byram, Canada
G Justus Annunen, Finland
F Sampo Ranta, Finland
D Daniil Zhuravlyov, Russia

Columbus Blue Jackets (4):

F Liam Foudy, Canada
F Kirill Marchenko, Russia
F Dmitri Voronkov, Russia
D Tim Berni, Switzerland

Dallas Stars (3):

F Ty Dellandrea, Canada
F Oskar Back, Sweden
F Albin Eriksson, Sweden

Detroit Red Wings (5):

D Jared McIsaac, Canada
F Joseph Veleno, Canada
D Moritz Seider, Germany
F Jonatan Berggren, Sweden
F Jesper Eliasson, Sweden

Edmonton Oilers (4):

F Raphael Lavoie, Canada
G Olivier Rodrigue, Canada
F Matej Blumel, Czech Republic
D Philip Broberg, Sweden

Florida Panthers (3):

Justin Schutz, Germany
F Grigori Denisenko, Russia
G Spencer Knight, USA

Los Angeles Kings (9):

F Aidan Dudas, Canada
F Akil Thomas, Canada
F Lukas Parik, Czech Republic
F Rasmus Kupari, Finland
D Kim Nousiainen, Finland
D Tobias Bjornfot, Sweden
F Samuel Fagemo, Sweden
F Arthur Kaliyev, USA
F Alex Turcotte, USA

Minnesota Wild (1):

F Alexander Khovanov, Russia

Montreal Canadiens (4):

D Alexander Romanov, Russia
D Mattias Norlinder, Sweden
F Cole Caufield, USA
D Jordan Harris, USA

Nashville Predators (1):

D Spencer Stastney, USA

New Jersey Devils (5):

D Kevin Bahl, Canada
D Ty Smith, Canada
D Daniil Misyul, Russia
F Nikola Pasic, Sweden
G Akira Schmid, Switzerland

New York Islanders (2):

F Jacob Pivonka, USA
F Oliver Wahlstrom, USA

New York Rangers (5):

D Nico Gross, Switzerland
F Karl Henriksson, Sweden
D Nils Lundkvist, Sweden
D Zachary Jones, USA

D K’Andre Miller, USA

Ottawa Senators (3):

D Jacob Bernard-Docker, Canada
D Lassi Thomson, Finland
F Shane Pinto, USA

Philadelphia Flyers (4):

F Egor Zamula, Russia
D Adam Ginning, Sweden
F Bobby Brink, USA
D Cameron York, USA

Pittsburgh Penguins (1):

D Calen Addison, Canada

San Jose Sharks (1):

Santeri Hatakka, Finland

St. Louis Blues (2):

G Joel Hofer, Canada
F Nikita Alexandrov, Russia

Tampa Bay Lightning (3):

F Nolan Foote, Canada
F Maxim Cajkovic, Czech Republic
G Hugo Alnefelt, Sweden

Toronto Maple Leafs (3):

D Mikko Kokkonen, Finland
D Rasmus Sandin, Sweden
F Nicholas Robertson, USA

Vancouver Canucks (4):

F Karel Plasek, Czech Republic
D Toni Utunen, Finland
F Vasily Podkolzin, Russia
F Nils Hoglander, Sweden

Vegas Golden Knights (3):

F Pavel Dorofeyev, Russia
F Ivan Morozov, Russia
G Isaiah Saville, USA

Washington Capitals (2):

F Connor McMichael, Canada
D Martin Has, Czech Republic

Winnipeg Jets (2):

F David Gustafsson, Sweden
D Ville Heinola, Finland

Snapshots: Kapanen, Canucks, Holtby

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The Toronto Maple Leafs roared back to take an afternoon tilt against the Carolina Hurricanes today, scoring eight goals in total (while giving up six against). That kind of offensive firepower is because of the team’s depth up front, even with lineup regulars Trevor Moore and Andreas Johnsson still out with injury. That depth, along with a tough cap situation and defense corps that has struggled has led many to speculate on the future of Kasperi Kapanen, who recently signed a three-year, $9.6MM deal with the team. Pierre LeBrun spoke on TSN radio before the game about Kapanen’s future with the team:

I still talk to some teams that value him and like him. If he were to be made available I don’t think the Leafs would have a hard time gaining value in a trade involving him. In fact, it wouldn’t shock me if they did deal him. I think it’s probably in the offseason that it is before February 24th.

But again, because of the pressure of the cap and the pressure of having to figure out the defense moving forward next year, I think he’ll be one of the expendable parts. Not because I think the Leafs’ front office thinks any different of him, I think it’s just he’s at a certain number and I think they can get cheaper players to play those roles. It wouldn’t shock me if he was involved in a trade in the offseason.

Kapanen, 23, has eight goals and 19 points in 38 games this season. This is the second time recently a major hockey insider has spoken about the ease in which Toronto could trade the young winger, after Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet included a note about Kapanen’s value in his 31 Thoughts column earlier this month. Though there has been no indication that the Maple Leafs are leaning that way at this point, he’ll obviously be a player to watch in the summer.

  • The Vancouver Canucks have gotten standout performances from several young players this season, but as Chris Johnston of Sportsnet points out that may actually have a consequence moving forward. Johnston notes that the performance bonuses of players like Elias Pettersson, Quinn Hughes and Adam Gaudette could add up to more than $4MM this season, a total that would be carried over against next year’s cap if they don’t have the room on this year’s books. The Canucks already have buyout hits and cap recapture penalties that add up to more than $4MM as well, meaning they could be playing with a much diminished pocket book in 2020-21.
  • Friedman also noted over the weekend that negotiations with Braden Holtby of the Washington Capitals have been put off until after the season is over, something that makes his future with the team even more interesting. Holtby has been a rock for the Capitals for nearly a decade now, winning a Vezina Trophy in 2016 and earning all 16 wins in their Stanley Cup championship in 2018. That said, the team now has young netminder Ilya Samsonov showing what he can do at the NHL level (9-2-1 with a .916 save percentage in 12 appearances) and cap issues to solve with Nicklas Backstrom due for a new deal in 2020 and Alex Ovechkin in 2021. Friedman was clear to point out that the Capitals have extended other players like John Carlson and T.J. Oshie after the season previously, but Holtby may be a different situation entirely.

Martin Marincin And Adam Brooks Sent Back To The Marlies

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  • Martin Marincin’s frequent travelling between the Maple Leafs and the AHL Marlies continues as Toronto announced (via Twitter) that they’ve sent the blueliner along with center Adam Brooks back to the minors. It’s the fifth demotion for Marincin since November 29th.  The two have been serving as injury insurance but will get an opportunity to get back into game action today at the minor league level.  While they weren’t up under emergency conditions, they were on regular recall after December 11th making them eligible to be demoted despite the roster freeze.

Snapshots: Scott, Belzile, Girard

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The Toronto Maple Leafs announced that goaltending prospect Ian Scott will be out for six months following hip surgery, an unfortunate outcome in what was supposed to be his first professional season. The reigning CHL Goaltender of the Year, Scott hasn’t played a single game for the Toronto Marlies or Newfoundland Growlers this season.

Toronto has been desperately trying to find an answer for their backup goaltending position this season, but there is still a huge gap between Scott, fellow prospect Joseph Woll and starter Frederik Andersen. Michael Hutchinson and Kasimir Kaskisuo have been used, but neither one has secured a single win this season. Scott is expected to be ready for training camp, but missing an entire season of development isn’t ideal.

  • The Montreal Canadiens have their own injured minor leaguer, as today it was announced that Alex Belzile will miss six months following pectoral surgery. Belzile has played in 20 games for the Laval Rocket this season and has 14 points, but will be shut down at this point. Charles Hudon is also dealing with a lower-body injury and will not travel with the Rocket.
  • Samuel Girard has escaped suspension after sending Alex DeBrincat flying last night, instead earning just a fine from the Department of Player Safety. Girard will pay $1,957.89, the maximum allowable under the CBA, for boarding DeBrincat.

Minor Transactions: 12/19/19

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The NHL has ten games on the schedule for this evening after a quiet Wednesday night, including a preview of a potential Eastern Conference playoff matchup between the New York Islanders and Boston Bruins. The Bruins are running away with the Atlantic Division, but the same can’t be said for the Islanders in the Metropolitan where second and fifth place are separated by just five points. As they and other teams prepare for the busy night, we’ll keep track of all the minor moves.

  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have recalled Adam Brooks and Martin Marincin once again, this time not under emergency conditions. That means they can stay even when Trevor Moore returns from injury, though it is not clear if he will be ready for this weekend after suffering a minor setback.
  • Mathieu Joseph has been assigned to the minor leagues by the Tampa Bay Lightning in a somewhat surprising move, after the 22-year old played in 31 games already this season. Joseph hasn’t been nearly as effective as he was last year, but still has a bright future in Tampa Bay.
  • After claiming Stefan Noesen on waivers, the San Jose Sharks have made several other roster moves. Joel Kellman, Noah Gregor and Jacob Middleton have all been recalled from the AHL, while Radim Simek now finds himself on injured reserve again.

Snapshots: Copp, Seabrook, Mikheyev

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The Winnipeg Jets have announced that Andrew Copp is out on a week-to-week basis with an upper-body injury, ruling him out until after Christmas at the earliest. The 25-year old Copp left last night’s game against the Carolina Hurricanes after a collision with Jordan Staal. Jets head coach Paul Maurice told reporters today including Ken Wiebe of The Athletic that the injury is not a concussion, but that more tests needed to be completed to understand the severity.

Copp has 14 points in 34 games this season and once again has been an integral part of the Jets’ penalty killing efforts, averaging more short-handed ice time than any forward other than Adam Lowry. Winnipeg has been struck by the injury bug several times this season, but right now are stretching their depth up front very thin.

  • Good news for Chicago Blackhawks fans is bad news for Brent Seabrook. Duncan Keith will return tonight for the Blackhawks, meaning someone else had to come out of the lineup. That’s going to be Seabrook, who will be healthy scratched for the third time this season. The 34-year old Seabrook still has four more years on his current contract with the Blackhawks after 2019-20 and carries a $6.875MM cap hit.
  • Ilya Mikheyev has scored in consecutive games for the Toronto Maple Leafs and now has six goals and 19 points through 35 games. That’s more than anyone could have expected from him in his first year in North America, but the Maple Leafs weren’t the only team that saw a future for the speedy winger when he was playing in the KHL. In fact, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic tweets that about 20 teams showed interest in Mikheyev before he chose Toronto, suggesting that Chicago and the Vegas Golden Knights were among those who pursued him the hardest. Mikheyev is on just a one-year entry-level contract with Toronto and will be a restricted free agent at the end of the season.

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