- The Maple Leafs wasted little time getting their new head coach under an NHL contract as Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (Twitter link) that the team has inked Sheldon Keefe to a three-year contract. There was no provision in Keefe’s deal with the AHL Marlies that said what his NHL pay would have been upon being named head coach so they moved quickly to get a deal done.
Maple Leafs Rumors
Toronto Maple Leafs Fire Mike Babcock
The Toronto Maple Leafs have fired head coach Mike Babcock and replaced him with Sheldon Keefe. Keefe had been coaching the AHL’s Toronto Marlies. Team president Brendan Shanahan released a statement on the move:
Today, we made the decision to relieve Mike Babcock of his coaching duties and named Sheldon Keefe our new head coach. Over parts of the last five seasons, Mike has played an integral role in changing the direction of our franchise.
Mike’s commitment and tireless work ethic has put our organization in a better place and we are extremely grateful and appreciative of the foundation he has helped us build here.
At this time, we collectively felt that it was best to make a change to Sheldon Keefe. Sheldon’s record with the Marlies in terms of development and on-ice success during his time in our organization has compelled us all to feel that he is the right person to take us to the next stage in our evolution.
Technically, Babcock has only been relieved of his duties as coach and is still under contract with the Maple Leafs. That eight-year, $50MM contract was the biggest deal ever given to an NHL coach and still has three more seasons on it. Babcock will likely be allowed to pursue other opportunities, but compensation for coaches (or executives) is no longer a part of the CBA.
Originally hired in May, 2015, Babcock was tasked with turning around a franchise that hadn’t shown much promise for years. In his first season the team tore apart the roster and sunk to the very bottom of the league, securing the first-overall pick, Auston Matthews, in the process. After that things trended upwards very quickly, with Matthews and the rest of their rookie class—including Mitch Marner, William Nylander, Zach Hyman and Connor Brown—sneaking the team into the playoffs where they valiantly battled the top seeded Washington Capitals.
Two consecutive years of first-round disappointment followed against the Boston Bruins however, with Babcock struggling to find an answer for Patrice Bergeron, Brad Marchand and David Pastrnak. After sweeping changes to the defense corps this summer, things were going even worse.
Toronto has lost six consecutive games and enter tomorrow’s game against the Arizona Coyotes with a 9-10-4 record, something unacceptable for a group that includes three of the highest-paid forwards in the league. New captain John Tavares and Mitch Marner have both been out of the lineup due to injury, but the defense has been even worse than before even with the addition of Tyson Barrie.
Keefe will take over that underperforming roster in his first stint behind an NHL bench, but comes as perhaps the most decorated coaching prospect in hockey. Once a second-round pick of the Tampa Bay Lightning and veteran of 125 NHL games as a player, Keefe took to coaching after an early retirement and has found success at every level.
A four-time CJHL champion as head coach, GM and owner of the Pembrooke Lumber Kings of the CJHL, Keefe was actually given his first job in the CHL when now-Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas was running the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds. He was named CHL coach of the year in 2015, before joining the Marlies and leading them to a Calder Cup championship in 2018.
Now, with all the pressure that comes as head coach of the Maple Leafs, Keefe will get a chance to show he is ready for the NHL. The organization better hope he is, as they need wins now if the playoffs are still a realistic goal.
Latest On Tyson Barrie
With the Toronto Maple Leafs floundering near the bottom of the Eastern Conference and on a six-game losing streak, chatter has started building around some of their pending unrestricted free agents. Tyson Barrie in particular has looked like a fish out of water in Toronto after an offseason trade brought him to the Maple Leafs, and with his relatively low cap hit—the Colorado Avalanche retained salary in the deal so Barrie costs just $2.75MM this season—he has drawn interest from around the league.
Still, Toronto doesn’t seem eager to make a move. Speaking with Mike Zeisberger of NHL.com this week, Maple Leafs’ GM Kyle Dubas preached patience when it comes to evaluating players:
I think the reality is, especially when you have a player with a long proven track record, I think you can make some major mistakes by being hasty and not trying to dig in to what you’re seeing on video, what you’re seeing in games, what you’re seeing via data or finding out from the player how they feel. You’ve got to dig into those aspects to try to find a solution to get that player to play to their potential.
Barrie, 28, still hasn’t scored a single goal this season after recording double-digit totals in five of the last six years. The fact that he has just seven assists is incredibly troubling as well, given he is coming off a 59-point campaign with Colorado last season. Some of that is not running the first powerplay in Toronto (a spot that Morgan Rielly holds), but there has been an obvious mismatch in system and style for Barrie in Toronto.
Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet included a note on Barrie in his recent 31 Thoughts column, writing that there is “definitely an understanding from all parties that this isn’t working so far.” Not only does the veteran defenseman have to worry about the Maple Leafs turning things around, but his value on the open market is also dropping daily.
Barrie was set to be one of the most sought-after defensemen in free agency, but with a contract season like this it’s unclear where his market will end up.
Poll: Which Team Most Needs To Make A Trade?
At the quarter mark of the season, the wheels have begun turning for many general managers. Enough time has passed in the 2019-20 campaign to tell whether a team can contend as currently constructed or not. The standings at the end of November are usually a strong indicator of where teams will end up at the conclusion of the regular season and a number of clubs will not be happy with where they currently sit. The New York Islanders, Washington Capitals, Boston Bruins, St. Louis Blues, and Edmonton Oilers hold the five best records in the NHL and may be content to wait for the NHL Trade Deadline to make a move, but others are already feeling the pressure to do so as soon as possible.
The two biggest disappointments of the season so far are easily the Toronto Maple Leafs and Calgary Flames. The Flames were the regular season champs of the Western Conference with 107 points, while the Leafs were a 100-point team themselves. Yet, the struggle for both squads seemingly started in last year’s playoffs with frustrating first-round exits. Toronto again fell victim to the rival Boston Bruins, while Calgary was stunned in five games by the eight-seeded Colorado Avalanche. Both teams entered the new season with something to prove but have only found more disappointment. The Flames and Maple Leafs are shockingly just .500 teams through 20+ games apiece, with each riding a significant losing streak. Neither team has any cap space available, but are in desperate need of a shake-up nonetheless. The Leafs seem to be lacking an edge defensively (and could also use a goalie), while Calgary’s offense is third-worst in the league.
However, is maintaining relevance more important than finally achieving it? Stop me if you’ve heard this one before, but after strong starts to the season, the Buffalo Sabres and Vancouver Canucks appear to be tailing off yet again. Buffalo was electric to begin the year, just as they were in 2018-19, but are just 2-6-2 in their past ten games and would miss the playoffs if they started today. That would make it a league-worst nine years in a row without postseason hockey for the Sabres, who somehow need to find a way to stay consistent over the course of a season, especially in the Atlantic Division. A new addition up front would go a long way for Buffalo. The Canucks are doing a slightly better job, still holding down the third spot in the Pacific Division, but they are far from safe at their current pace. Vancouver’s .571 points percentage is just 16th in the league and the team is trending in the wrong direction, winning just three of their past ten contests. With the aforementioned Flames, the Vegas Golden Knights, and the red-hot San Jose Sharks on their heels, Vancouver cannot afford to let this lapse in play continue. Another missed postseason would make it five in a row. A veteran leader in the locker room who can also make an impact on the ice would be a major addition for the young Canucks.
Which one of these four teams most needs to make a trade to shake things up and get back to their winning ways? Or is there another team under pressure whose needs are even more immediate? Vote below and support your selection in the comments.
Which Team Most Needs To Make A Trade?
Toronto Maple Leafs
41.50%
(855 votes)
Buffalo Sabres
24.85%
(512 votes)
Calgary Flames
19.42%
(400 votes)
Other - leave a comment
9.47%
(195 votes)
Vancouver Canucks
4.76%
(98 votes)
Total Votes: 2,060
[Mobile users click here to vote]
Trevor Moore Placed On Injured Reserve
The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost another one of their young forwards, as Trevor Moore has been placed on injured reserve. They’ll give Pierre Engvall a look, recalling him from the minors for the first time in his career. Moore suffered a shoulder injury early in Friday night’s game against the Boston Bruins.
Engvall meanwhile has been tearing up the minor leagues with 16 points in his first 15 games, more than anyone could have expected from a seventh-round pick. Selected 188th overall in 2014, the Maple Leafs patiently watched his development overseas before bringing him into the organization and almost immediately heaping responsibility on him. In 2018 Engvall joined the Toronto Marlies down the stretch and helped them win the Calder Cup, and last season moved to center full-time.
For Moore, it’s an unfortunate outcome when he had just been given a huge opportunity beside John Tavares and the other talented Maple Leafs’ forwards. Originally undrafted, the 24-year old has a seemingly limitless work ethic and continues to force his way up the team’s depth chart.
The Maple Leafs are one of the most disappointing teams in the league so far this season, with a 9-9-4 record despite some of the highest-paid players in the league still scoring at a strong rate. Their reimagined defense corps has struggled and there is already tons of speculation on the future of head coach Mike Babcock. Now without Moore, they’ll have to find a way to turn things around quickly.
Maple Leafs Receiving Trade Interest In Tyson Barrie
The transition from Colorado to Toronto has not been a particularly good one so far for defenseman Tyson Barrie. As a result, teams have been calling to see if the Maple Leafs would be willing to move him, Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports (video link). However, it doesn’t appear as if GM Kyle Dubas is willing to move him just yet.
Barrie was acquired from the Avalanche back in July along with center Alexander Kerfoot in exchange for center Nazem Kadri and defenseman Calle Rosen. He has been a very productive offensive weapon from the back end and has recorded at least 49 points in four of the last five years. That hasn’t carried over to his new team though as through 22 games this season, the 28-year-old has yet to score and has just six assists.
Barrie is slated to become an unrestricted free agent this summer and this slow start certainly can’t be helping his market value. Friedman notes that while the defender hasn’t asked for a trade, there is a recognition that this can’t continue. With that in mind, it’s certainly possible that Toronto’s current hesitancy could change if things don’t pick up over the next little while.
With the Avs holding back half of Barrie’s $5.5MM AAV, there should be plenty of teams with interest and that have the ability to take on a pro-rated $2.75MM cap charge. That said, given Toronto’s inability to take on extra salary given their cap situation, it puts them in a bit of a bind. They’re a team that’s built to try to win now but there aren’t going to be many impact players available that could be a plausible return for someone like Barrie at that low price tag which could limit their options.
It’s reasonable to suggest that no one saw this type of offensive drop off coming from Barrie. For now, the Maple Leafs are content to let him try and turn things around but if his struggles continue, he could certainly be a very interesting name to keep tabs on closer to the trade deadline.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Atlantic Notes: Babcock, Dahlin, Anderson
Three weeks ago, the Toronto Maple Leafs were just OK. They weren’t dominating the Atlantic Division, but their underlying numbers were acceptable. However, quite a bit has changed in three weeks. The team has just one regulation victory in its last nine games (two in their last 15 games) and the team’s special teams are at the bottom of the league.
Now, after defending Mike Babcock three weeks ago, The Athletic’s James Mirtle (subscription required) now compares the pros and cons on whether it might be time to remove the head coach. While he points out that some of the team’s struggles are out of Babcock’s control, there are more reasons to look at the coaching staff skeptically within the last nine-game stretch.
Mirtle examines the coaches’ tactics and the special teams challenges (including 11.8 percent success rate on the power play and a 71.4 percent kill ratio on the penalty kill). However, the most interesting take is that the scribe believes that the head coach has lost his team in the locker room. Whether that will eventually fuel a coaching change is unknown, but Toronto fans won’t be happy long with a 9-9-4 record with all the expectations that were expected from this team.
- Despite being benched for the third period Saturday night, the Buffalo Sabres still intend to play second-year defenseman Rasmus Dahlin Sunday, who has struggled in the eyes of head coach Ralph Krueger. “We’re making decisions for the team in the moment. It was a coaching room decision, not against Rasmus at all; it was for the other guys to just tighten things up,” said Krueger (according to The Athletic’s John Vogl). “It worked, but Rasmus will grow from it, learn from it and move forward quickly from it, I’m sure. … Just sometimes wanting too much maybe and finding the balance between his amazing genius and skill and what we need when. He’ll improve from it.”
- The Fourth Period’s Matteo Pasculli wonders whether Ottawa Senators goaltender Craig Anderson’s career with the Senators could be coming to an end. The 38-year-old veteran has been struggling this season with a 3.31 GAA and a .894 save percentage in 12 appearances this year. With Anderson losing hold of his job to Anders Nilsson, who has been steadier, Anderson could find himself on the trade block as a potential backup goalie for a playoff team. Of course, a playoff team would require some cap space to accommodate his $4.75MM contract, although Ottawa could retain some of that salary. He is, however, in the last year of his deal, which could be appealing to a team looking for a rental.
Snapshots: College Free Agents, Moore, Penguins
The NCAA ranks are a place to find undrafted talent that can fill in the gaps in an organization, and even potentially unearth a star player. NHL.com contributor Mark Divver writes on the college names that are drawing the most interest from NHL scouts, including Connor Mackey of Minnesota State-Mankato.
In one of our earlier College Hockey Round-Ups, our own Zach Leach examined Mackey’s game and the report that at least seven NHL clubs had already shown interest. The 23-year old defenseman’s market may turn into something of a sweepstakes this summer if his strong play continues.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs have lost another forward, this time to a shoulder injury. Trevor Moore left in the first period of tonight’s game against the Boston Bruins and will not return, an injury that the Maple Leafs can’t afford at this point. The team is already missing Mitch Marner and Alexander Kerfoot, meaning their vaunted forward group (that hasn’t been so spectacular yet this season) will be tested even further.
- Even with Sidney Crosby out of the lineup for at least a month, the Pittsburgh Penguins aren’t going to make any desperate moves. That’s what GM Jim Rutherford told Josh Yohe of The Athletic (subscription required), explaining that he thinks the team is still strong enough to navigate the waters without their captain.
Alexander Kerfoot Out Indefinitely Following Surgery
The Toronto Maple Leafs are going to be without another one of their speedy forwards for the next while. Alexander Kerfoot has undergone surgery to repair facial dental fractures. The injury was originally sustained on November 5th, but Kerfoot had been playing through it. He is out indefinitely.
In that November 5th game against the Los Angeles Kings, Kerfoot took a hard hit from Jeff Carter as he tried to exit his own zone and was taken off for concussion testing. The Maple Leafs forward complained about a painful jaw in an interview between periods, but returned to the game and scored.
The Maple Leafs already played several weeks without John Tavares, Zach Hyman and Travis Dermott this season and currently have Mitch Marner on injured reserve with a high-ankle sprain. With Kerfoot now out the team’s depth will be tested even further as they continue to struggle through the early part of the season.
Jason Spezza is expected to get back into the lineup as the team’s third-line center between Ilya Mikheyev and Trevor Moore, though they also have Nic Petan on the roster. With Marner missing at least a month, the team does have some flexibility cap wise.
Snapshots: Brannstrom, Komarov, Tarasenko
The Ottawa Senators aren’t competing for the playoffs this season, even if a recent hot streak brought them a little more respectability—the team had won four of their last six before getting pummeled by the Carolina Hurricanes last night. No, this season is entirely about development as they look to turn the page on the old guard and install a new identity under rookie head coach D.J. Smith.
Because development should be their primary concern, Wayne Scanlan of Sportsnet examines how the team is using one of their top defensive prospects and suggests that Erik Brannstrom could benefit from a little more time in the AHL. The Senators are back in action tomorrow night against the New Jersey Devils, in a battle for the bottom of the Eastern Conference.
- Leo Komarov has been activated from injured reserve by the New York Islanders, giving them another one of their veteran forward options for their game tomorrow. That game is against Komarov’s former team as the Islanders welcome in the Toronto Maple Leafs for the first time this season. The 32-year old forward is a versatile player and registered 26 points for the Islanders last season, but will be playing just his eighth game this year after dealing with injury for the last several weeks.
- Speaking of forwards missing time to injury, St. Louis Blues sniper Vladimir Tarasenko spoke for the first time today and explained to reporters including Lou Korac of NHL.com that he’s not sure if he’ll be able to play again this season. Tarasenko underwent shoulder surgery on October 29th and will be re-evaluated in five months, but hopes he can come back sooner than expected like he has from previous injuries.