- 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.
Maple Leafs Rumors
Atlantic Notes: Bruins Trade Options, Krug, Dermott
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
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
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.
Five Key Stories: 10/14/19 – 10/20/19
While there was a consistent flow of trade rumors this week, no team pulled the trigger on a big move. That’s not to say there weren’t several additions, as well as subtractions, this week, as a big extension, a free agent signing, a suspension, an injury, and a coaching staff change are the stories of the week:
Hischier Extended Seven Years: The New Jersey Devils may be off to a surprisingly rough start to the season, but young centerpiece Nico Hischier remains a bright spot for the team. A timely source of good news for a disappointed fan base, the Devils announced a seven-year, $50.75MM extension. The new $7.25MM cap hit for the 2017 first overall pick is hardly an overpay so long as the talented center continues to develop. Especially in light of a increasingly higher salary cap ceiling, the new deal could be a bargain for New Jersey, particularly toward the end of the contract.
Panthers Add Boyle: Respected veteran forward Brian Boyle was a surprise omission from this summer’s list of free agent signings, but the Florida Panthers recognized a need in their bottom six and addressed it with a one-year deal for the two-way ace. Boyle actually enjoyed one of the best seasons of his career last year and has been a highly valuable hired gun late in his career. An affordable addition of experience and ability, Boyle could prove to be a key signing by Florida. The Philadelphia Flyers made a similar addition, signing Chris Stewart to a one-year deal.
Zykov Suspended 20 Games: Young Vegas Golden Knights forward Valentin Zykov will be out of the lineup for some time, as the NHL announced a 20-game suspension as a result of a failed drug test. Zykov reportedly violated the joint Performance Enhancing Substances Program and as a result will sit until late November. While the Golden Knights claim Zykov admitted to taking an illegal substance, the player continues to state that he is unaware of how he failed the drug test.
Hjarlmarsson Out Three Months: Niklas Hjalmarsson’s penchant for shot blocking has cost him, as the Arizona Coyotes defenseman will miss an anticipated three months with a cracked fibula in his left leg. One of the more dependable defensive blue liners in the NHL, Hjalmarsson’s loss is a major blow for the ‘Yotes. The injury has sparked trade rumors in the desert, as Arizona was already off to a shaky start before losing one of their top players. Toronto Maple Leafs center John Tavares was another big-name injury this week, out two weeks with a broken finger.
Fitzgerald Joins Devils’ Bench: Considered by many to be the most improved team in the league heading into this season, the New Jersey Devils have not gotten off to the start than most expected. Head coach John Hynes is on the hot seat and the organization wants a closer look at the situation in the locker room. Assistant GM Tom Fitzgerald will add assistant coach to his list of responsibilities for the time being, joining Hynes’ staff. It could be a sign of things to come for New Jersey if they don’t turn things around soon.
Injury Notes: Barkov, Little, Johnsson, Ladd, Simek, Paquette
Florida Panthers fans were quite worried Saturday when star player Aleksander Barkov skated off the ice during his second shift and did not return for the rest of the game. The Panthers deemed the injury as an upper-body injury and head coach Joel Quenneville refused to comment on it. However, The Athletic’s George Richards (subscription required) reports that general manager Dale Tallon referred to the injury as “minor.”
How Barkov was injured is a different story, as it doesn’t look as if Barkov took a hit, but the 24-year-old was seen clutching his side after an icing call on his second shift. He still lined up for the face-off, but looked to be in obvious pain. The team flew back to home last night and have Sunday off, with a home match against the Pittsburgh Penguins on Tuesday.
- The Winnipeg Jets are looking for some added punch to their lineup as TSN’s Brian Munz reports that center Bryan Little, who has been sidelined all season with a concussion, is expected to play Sunday against the Edmonton Oilers. The 31-year-old has served as the team’s second line center for quite some time. He scored 15 goals and 41 points last season.
- Toronto Maple Leafs forward Andreas Johnsson was not at practice Sunday after blocking a Brandon Carlo shot Saturday and being forced out of the game and missing the third period, according to TSN’s Kristen Shilton. X-rays on Johnsson’s leg came back negative, suggesting the injury isn’t too serious and the forward isn’t expected to be out for long. The 24-year-old winger has two goals and five points in nine games with the Leafs so far.
- The return of Andrew Ladd could be coming soon as Newsday’s Andrew Gross reports that the 33-year-old winger was skating in a regular practice jersey Sunday, after several practices in an orange non-contact jersey. Ladd is coming off a torn ACL and was limited to just 26 games last season. If healthy, Ladd could make some key contributions on the team’s bottom-six. He scored three goals and 11 points in those 26 appearances last year. Gross in a separate tweet, reports that both Jordan Eberle and Casey Cizikas, each on injured reserve with lower-body injuries, skated today, but separately from the rest of the team.
- The Athletic’s Kevin Kurz reports that defenseman Radim Simek is expected to join the San Jose Sharks on their five-game road trip, but the blueliner said that he likely won’t play in any of those games due to his leg injury. He has been practicing so a return could come in the next few weeks, but his return to health has taken longer than the team expected.
- NHL.com’s Bryan Burns reports that Tampa Bay Lighting forward Cedric Paquette is now considered to be day-to-day. The 26-year-old forward, out with an arm injury, hasn’t played a game this season yet, but could be close. Paquette scored a career-high 13 goals last season.
Toronto Will Have Some Tough Roster Decisions To Make Next Week
The Toronto Maple Leafs are expecting to get back two key players from long-term injured reserve as defenseman Travis Dermott and forward Zach Hyman are both eligible to return on Saturday when Toronto faces Montreal. While that is great news for Maple Leafs fans, it might be quite a challenge as the team will have to make quite a few changes to their roster to fit those two back into their salary cap structure.
On Saturday’s Hockey Night in Canada, Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston reported that Toronto may have to clear four players from their roster in order to get Dermott and Hyman onto their roster. He said the moves could be demotions to the Toronto Marlies, but it wouldn’t be a surprise if Toronto made a trade or put a player on waivers.
Elliotte Friedman suggested in the same segment that Toronto is seeking to trade Nic Petan, who the Maple Leafs acquired at the trade deadline last season and isn’t a favorite of head coach Mike Babcock. Petan only played five games after the trade last year and has only appeared in three this year.
Dermott is coming off offseason shoulder surgery, while Hyman had surgery to repair his ACL which he tore during the playoffs last season. With the two on LTIR, the Maple Leafs, who are under the cap by just $380K, have saved $3.11MM on the cap. But when activated, the Maple Leafs will have to clear that much in order to keep both on the roster. While Petan might be an obvious choice, none of their bottom-line players (offense or defense) make much more than the minimum, which likely would force the team to make multiple moves, barring a bigger trade.
Other players who could be out could include Jason Spezza, Nick Shore, Justin Holl, Kevin Gravel and Martin Marincin.
Konstantin Okulov Linked To Toronto, Montreal
The Toronto Maple Leafs have received a great contribution from young Russian forward Ilya Mikheyev this season and may be looking to add another forward from the KHL before long. On last night’s Sportsnet broadcast, insider Chris Johnston explained that Konstantin Okulov is the latest overseas player to be linked to the Maple Leafs, though also noted that the Montreal Canadiens are the other interested party.
According to Johnston, other teams are hesitating to even invest any time in the recruitment of Okulov because of his connection with the Maple Leafs and Canadiens. The 24-year old scored 20 goals and 31 points last season and is off to a blazing start in 2019-20.
For a team like Toronto that has so much money tied up in a few players, finding talent elsewhere is absolutely imperative. Mikheyev has given the team another legitimate NHL winger for an entry-level salary, scoring seven points in his first nine games—all of them at even-strength.
Montreal meanwhile doesn’t have the intricate cap problems that Toronto deals with on a daily basis, but are building a deep forward group to rival their Atlantic Division opponents and won’t pass up an opportunity to improve it. Montreal has 12 picks in this year’s draft, a good young core and cap space to make moves, a situation that makes them dangerous in any free agent situation.
Okulov is scheduled to become a free agent after this season but would be held to the entry-level system on any contract. While Toronto and Montreal are the front-runners, this is surely not the last time we hear his name throughout the year.
John Tavares Out Two Weeks With Broken Finger
Though he scored a goal late in last night’s game against the Washington Capitals, John Tavares suffered a broken finger and will be out of the Toronto Maple Leafs lineup for a minimum of two weeks. He will be reassessed at that time. Tavares was hit by a point shot earlier in the game and seemed to be favoring his hand, but kept playing.
This is exactly the type of injury trouble that the Maple Leafs can’t afford to deal with given how top-heavy their lineup is at the moment. After handing out more than $30MM to three forwards, the bottom of the roster is made up by less experienced or less effective options that will need to step up. With Tavares out and Zach Hyman still recovering, two-thirds of the team’s top line will watch as the Maple Leafs take on the Boston Bruins twice over the next week.
Though the Maple Leafs have two of the best centers in the game in Tavares and Auston Matthews, their depth at the position will be tested with one of them out. The team could move William Nylander back to the middle or promote Alexander Kerfoot to the top line, but neither option is ideal at this point. It could mean a return to action for Jason Spezza, who has been a healthy scratch several times this season but comes with plenty of experience in an offensive role.
No Extension Talks Between Toronto And Jake Muzzin
While Jake Muzzin fit in nicely with the Maple Leafs last season and is off to a good start in 2019-20, Pierre LeBrun of TSN and The Athletic mentioned in an appearance on TSN’s Insider Trading that there have been no discussions about a possible contract extension yet. Toronto has a trio of notable pending UFAs on the back end with offseason acquisitions Tyson Barrie and Cody Ceci and with their salary cap situation, there’s no way they’ll be able to keep all three around. LeBrun suggests that the plan may be to evaluate how each one performs over the first few months of the season before deciding who to try to extend. Muzzin carries a $4MM cap hit and will undoubtedly be seeking a sizable raise on that for his next contract. Meanwhile, Barrie is at $5.5MM (only half of which Toronto is covering) while Ceci checks in at $4.5MM. The Leafs already have more than $65MM in commitments to just 11 players for 2020-21.