Headlines

Go To MLB Trade Rumors
Go To Hoops Rumors

Maple Leafs Rumors

Toronto Maple Leafs, Nikita Zaitsev Working To Find “Fresh Start”

at CDT | by 4 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs are working to find Nikita Zaitsev a “fresh start” according to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, who reports the defensemen is available for trade. Zaitsev has five years remaining on the seven-year contract he signed in 2017, and carries a $4.5MM cap hit. Dan Milstein of Gold Star Hockey, Zaitsev’s agent, told Lance Hornby of the Toronto Sun that he would not comment publicly on the matter, though Bob McKenzie of TSN tweets that it was the player who asked for the team to try and trade him. McKenzie notes the request was for “personal reasons.”

It’s been a tumultuous few years since Zaitsev signed his long-term deal. After scoring 36 points as a rookie in 2016-17, he was taken completely off of the powerplay and given a hefty defensive workload as one of head coach Mike Babcock’s most trusted penalty killers. Instead of thriving in that role, Zaitsev unfortunately suffered a broken foot that cost him a quarter of the season and his offensive output dropped to just 13 points in 60 games. This season, still in a defensive role, Zaitsev’s offensive production dropped even further to register just 14 points in 81 games. That included a stretch of 22 straight contests where he was held scoreless, despite averaging more than twenty minutes of ice time over that stretch.

Still, there were signs that he might turn things around going forward. A late season and playoff pairing with Jake Muzzin appeared to work well, though the right-handed Zaitsev was held under 18 minutes in four of the seven games against the Boston Bruins.

The idea that Toronto would be looking to shed Zaitsev is likely not entirely based on his play however. The Maple Leafs are desperate for cap room, given their upcoming summer in which they have to sign Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, and that $4.5MM cap hit is an easy target. Zaitsev still may hold some value on the open market as an experienced right-handed defenseman who has played in all situations, but the real benefit of moving him for Toronto would be to open up some room for their young forwards. That would come with the cost of depleting their already razor thin depth on the right side, but GM Kyle Dubas may have a plan to fill those spots internally.

In terms of Zaitsev’s landing spot, there may be teams around the league who believe he can be more than he showed over the last two seasons. The 27-year old was actually a relatively offensive defenseman during his days in the KHL, and is an excellent skater. If those offensive numbers can bounce back to the level they reached in 2016-17, $4.5MM isn’t a problem, even if it is for five more years.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Snapshots: Marner, Coffey, Vilardi

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Mitch Marner’s next contract continues to be the talk of the town in Toronto—at least the hockey part of town—and Darren Dreger was on TSN radio today discussing what’s next in the negotiation. Dreger suggested that the Marner camp will be speaking to other teams when the free agent interview period begins in late June, to see what kind of opportunity would be out there if he were to pursue the infamous offer sheet.

The 22-year old forward is coming off an incredible season with the Maple Leafs where he immediately found chemistry with John Tavares and ended up with 94 points in 82 games, and now has a chance to be among the record-setting group of RFA wingers this summer. Names like Mikko Rantanen, Kyle Connor and Patrik Laine also all need new contracts and could very well change the landscape for top wingers coming off their entry-level contracts. The Maple Leafs and GM Kyle Dubas meanwhile have always seemed very confident they can get a deal done with Marner without an offer sheet coming into play, given the complete lack of them over the last several years.

  • It looks like another one of the “old boys club” in Edmonton is on his way out, as the team has parted ways with skills coach Paul Coffey according to Mark Spector of Sportsnet. The Oilers organization has been criticized heavily in the past for allowing their former players to have too much influence over the team, but have also recently seen Craig MacTavish leave by way of the KHL. This comes on a day when new GM Ken Holland announced the hiring of Dave Tippett as the next head coach of the team, another huge change of leadership as they try to get back to playoff contention.
  • According to Jon Rosen of LA Kings Insider the Los Angeles Kings are still in a “holding pattern” in regards to top prospect Gabe Vilardi’s rehab, as they wait for clearance before getting him into a skating and rehab program. Vilardi has unfortunately dealt with a serious back injury since being drafted 11th overall in 2017 and suited up for just four minor league games last season on a conditioning loan. The 19-year old forward has incredible offensive upside given his big frame and puck protection skills, but will need to get back to health before ever really figuring into the Kings plans.

Sheldon Keefe Signs Two-Year Extension With Toronto Marlies

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs don’t have to worry about someone poaching their minor league head coach. Not yet anyway. Today the club announced that Toronto Marlies head coach Sheldon Keefe has signed a two-year extension to stay in the AHL. GM Kyle Dubas explained the contract:

Over the last four seasons Sheldon has done a great job developing our individual prospects into Maple Leafs while also guiding the Marlies deep into the playoffs in each of his four seasons with the organization, including the Calder Cup in 2018. Ensuring that Sheldon remains tasked with guiding the development of our prospects was very important to our program and the reason we began the discussion to extend Sheldon months ago.

Keefe, 38, is a rising star in the coaching world that has found incredible success at the AHL level. In his four years coaching the Marlies, the team has advanced to the Conference Final three times and won a Calder Cup in 2018. That success has come even as the Maple Leafs continue to pull talent up every year, graduating players like William Nylander, Zach Hyman, Kasperi Kapanen, Andreas Johnsson and Travis Dermott to full-time NHL status. The blend of winning and development is an important one for a minor league team, and one that Keefe has navigated well over the last few years.

That success is exactly why many called for him to be promoted to the NHL squad after another disappointing exit by the Maple Leafs this spring. Head coach Mike Babcock was criticized by fans and media alike for his player usage against the Boston Bruins in the first round, and some speculated that he might be on his way out when Dubas failed to give him a vote of confidence right away. That vote came a few days later, when Dubas confirmed that Babcock and he were on the same page going forward.

Still, with teams calling on Keefe to see if he would be interested in interviewing for an NHL job somewhere else, Dubas and the Maple Leafs had to find a way to keep him in the organization. His contract is expected to pay much more than his AHL contemporaries, and there does seem to be a path to the Toronto NHL head coaching position down the road if Babcock doesn’t find a way to advance past the first round.

Atlantic Notes: Kapanen, Johnsson, Ristolainen, Krejci

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

While the Toronto Maple Leafs know what to expect when it comes to the future contract for Mitch Marner, it isn’t as straight forward for their other two key restricted free agents in Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. Some of the reason for that is that young forwards with little experience who post an impressive season, often don’t get rewarded when they hit restricted free agency and that could easily be the case for the Maple Leafs, according to The Athletic’s Ian Tulloch (subscription required).

Kapanen, who hits restricted free agency for the first time, had an impressive season last year as he put up 20 goals and 44 points as a full-time player. However, before that, he had played a combined 55 games (and tallying just 10 points) over three separate seasons. Johnsson posted very similar numbers as he tallied 20 goals and 43 points in 73 games last season, but has played just 82 games in two years.

There are a number of comparables, however, including Ondrej Kase, Oliver Bjorkstrand, Phillip Danault, Anthony Mantha, Andreas Athanasiou, Teuvo Teravainen and Andre Burakovsky. All of them opted to sign a bridge deal with the hopes to prove to their respective teams that they can score like that consistently, suggesting that each of them may make anywhere from $2.7MM to $3.3MM AAV if they follow suit.

Of course, the problem could come down to offer sheets as both players would likely be prime candidates to sign offer sheets with other teams that could be closer to $4MM with a less risky compensation (just a second-round pick) which could cause quite a bit of havoc to Toronto’s salary cap situation.

  • Despite multiple rumors that the Buffalo Sabres are considering dealing defenseman Rasmus Ristolainen, who has never been able to take that next step and become a star defenseman like the team thought would happen when he joined the franchise six years ago, TSN’s Darren Dreger (while appearing on WGR 550) said he doesn’t believe that the Sabres will entertain the notion of trading him. Dreger said he doesn’t believe it’s a move the team feels is critical, but general manager Jason Botterill is still open to listening to offers. Of course, one fear of moving him is that Ristolainen could take that next step wherever he gets traded to, which the Sabres would prefer to avoid.
  • NHL.com’s Eric Russo writes that the Boston Bruins have been without center David Krejci for the past few days as the center has been out with an illness. He missed Thursday’s scrimmage and skipped practice on Saturday although head coach Bruce Cassidy said he hopes to have Krejci back on Sunday. “Precautionary,” said Cassidy. “I suspect we’ll see him tomorrow. That is the plan. If he’s not out tomorrow, now there’s a little bit of worry there. But right now, I believe he’ll be practicing tomorrow.”

CHL Announces Top Player Awards for 2018-19

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

Just one year after being named the CHL Rookie of the Year, QMJHL’s Alexis Lafreniere of Rimouski Oceanic, took another huge leap in his development as the 17-year-old was named the Sportsnet’s Player of the Year after the CHL released its top award winners Saturday.

Lafrieniere, who is considered to be the leading candidate to be the first-overall pick in the 2020 NHL draft, scored 42 goals as a 16-year-old to garner Rookie of the Year honors in 2017-18 and while his goal totals dropped to 37 this season, his playmaking skills took off. Lafreniere tallied 68 assists and 105 total points and then took his game to another level in the playoffs when he scored nine goals and 23 points in 13 games. Tampa Bay prospect Alex Barre-Boulet was the 2017-18 winner, at the age of 21. Lafreniere beat two other key players, including the WHL’s Portland Winterhawks’ Joachim Blichfeld and goaltender Ukko-Pekka Luukkonen of the OHL’s Sudbury Wolves.

Defenseman Ty Smith was named the Superstore Defenceman of the Year. The 19-year-old, who will likely take the ice with the New Jersey Devils next season, posted seven goals and 69 points in 57 games this season for the Spokane Chiefs of the WHL. Ian Scott of the WHL’s Prince Albert Raiders won the Vaughn Goaltender of the Year Award. He put up 38 wins, posting a 1.78 GAA and a .932 save percentage. The 20-year-old goaltender is a product of the Toronto Maple Leafs. Rookie Quinton Byfield of the Sudbury Wolves walked away with the Wawanesa Rookie of the Year Award after scoring 29 goals and 61 points in 64 games.

Here is a list of all the CHL award winners:

Player of the Year: Alexis Lafreniere
Defenseman of the Year: Ty Smith
Goaltender of the Year: Ian Scott
Rookie of the Year: Quinton Byfield
Coach of the Year: Mario Pouliot
Scholastic Player of the Year: Dustin Wolf
Humanitarian of the Year: Charle-Edouard D’Astous
Sportsman of the Year: Justin Almeida
Top Scorer: Jason Robertson
Top Prospect of Year: Bowen Byram

 

 

Senators Notes: Groulx, Roy, Mann, Potential Targets

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

According to TSN’s Bob McKenzie, new Senators head coach D.J. Smith is expected to hire his own staff in Ottawa. Although GM Pierre Dorion made the final decision on hiring Smith, the team is in the process of finding a President of Hockey Operations and, until that is completed, it appears Dorion will stick with player personnel decisions while Smith is given control of the remaining coaching hires. The one exception though is goaltending coach Pierre Groulx. McKenzie adds that Groulx has already been confirmed as returning to the team next season in the same capacity. Groulx has spent the past three seasons as the Senators’ goalie coach and has a close relationship with veteran starter Craig Anderson. He also had success with Anders Nilsson last season, whose play improved noticeably following a mid-season trade from the Vancouver Canucks. Even if the decision were up to him, it is unlikely that Smith would have opted to move on from Groulx, who was one of the few things that worked well in Ottawa last year.

  • Patrick Roy won’t be the next head coach of the Senators obviously, despite so much evidence pointing in that direction. But he won’t be the team’s President of Hockey Operations, either. TSN reports that Roy will return to his post as head coach and general manager of the QMJHL’s Quebec Remparts. Roy purchased the Remparts in 1997 and served as GM and later head coach from 2004 to 2014 before being hired as head coach of the Colorado Avalanche. Roy resumed his role with the Remparts this past season and has decided to stay on with the team rather than continue to pursue other NHL opportunities.
  • One interesting decision for Smith will be what to do with current AHL head coach Troy Mann. Mann was also in consideration for the Senators’ head coaching gig alongside Smith, but did not make the cut. Another relatively young coach like Smith, Mann has spent more than a decade now in the minor leagues with a number of different teams and varying degrees of success. However, he garnered some extra attention last year due to his strong work with the young members of the AHL’s Belleville Senators in his first season as the head coach. Mann remains under contract with the Senators it is up to Smith to decide how best to use a valued asset. With many of those top young players expected to play regular roles in Ottawa next season, he could make Mann an assistant on his staff to help with that transition. However, if he feels that Mann is better suited for the minor league level – or wants to avoid a challenge of authority from a fellow candidate – he may instead opt to leave Mann where he is in Belleville.
  • One of the more exciting aspects of adding a new head coach, especially at this time of year, is the possibility of their former players being interested in playing for them once again. The Senators’ whopping $37.7MM in projected cap space means they are more or less a blank slate this off-season when it comes to exploring the free agent and trade markets. So who has ties to Smith, a long-time coach for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires and Oshawa Generals? Well, one of Smith’s stars in his early days as an assistant in Windsor just so happens to be a known fixture on the trade block as well. The Anaheim Ducks’ Adam Henrique played three seasons under Smith and could very likely be on the move this summer as the Ducks seeks to shed salary. Smith could definitely push to acquire Henrique, who would immediately step into a top scoring role with Ottawa. Another name on the rumor mill who played for Smith briefly in Windsor is Zack Kassian of the Edmonton Oilers. Signed for one more year, Kassian would be an affordable, low-risk acquisition to bring some depth, experience, and toughness to the Ottawa lineup. A player who is not being forced out for salary reasons, but has nevertheless outstayed his welcome is the New York Islanders’ Michael Dal Colle. Dal Colle was one of Smith’s best players and leaders with the Generals and was selected No. 5 overall in 2014 due to his production in Oshawa. Yet, five years later, Dal Colle has seven points in 32 NHL games and is no longer considered part of the Islanders’ future core. They may be willing to sell low to the Senators, where the 22-year-old may have better luck under his old coach. On the free agent market, the defensive-minded Tom Kuhnhackl is a former Smith student who fit well under his old coach, but the intrigue here really lies with Smith’s Toronto connections. The man who ran the defense and penalty kill for the Maple Leafs could take a run at two high profile free agent defensemen – Jake Gardiner and Ron Hainsey – as well as two-way forward Par Lindholm, who Smith entrusted with ample shorthanded time in his first NHL season. Smith and the Senators may also flirt with the idea of an offer sheet for Toronto RFA Kasperi Kapanen, who Smith valued as a PK option but also brings a dynamic offensive game. The Leafs may have trouble matching an offer sheet for Kapanen against their tight cap crunch. Two other Toronto players with close ties to Smith are Nikita Zaitsev and Connor Brown, also potential trade casualties of the impending Toronto cap dilemma.

Anton Wedin Signs With Chicago Blackhawks

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

May 23rd: It may have taken more than a week, but the Blackhawks have finally confirmed their signing of Wedin. The import forward has signed a one-year entry-level contract worth the maximum $925K. Wedin is believed to have chosen Chicago over the Arizona Coyotes and Toronto Maple Leafs.

 

May 12th: The Chicago Blackhawks will be adding some extra forward depth for next season after the team was informed that Swedish free agent Anton Wedin has chosen Chicago over two other teams and will sign a one-year entry-level contract, according to The Athletic’s Scott Powers (subscription required). Wedin’s agent, Michael Deutsch, commented on the signing:

Anton was faced with a very difficult decision. He had multiple offers, all of which were excellent opportunities. Ultimately, he felt that the Blackhawks were a good fit for his style of play and felt comfortable knowing that the coach already knew him from his time in Sweden.”

The 26-year-old left-shot winger had a breakout year in his first year in the Swedish Hockey League after spending most of his career in the Allsvenskan, posting 14 goals and 27 points for Timra IK. However, with his team heading back to the second-tier Allsvenskan next season, Wedin was ready to jump to North America. He chose the Blackhawks over the Toronto Maple Leafs and Arizona Coyotes, although he was received significant interest from across the league. One potential reason could be his familiarity with Blackhawks’ head coach Jeremy Colliton, who previously coached for a rival team in the Allsvenskan, Mora IK.

While the Blackhawks have improved their top-six, the team continues to add to their depth to put together the best team possible. General manager Stan Bowman has shown interest in adding talent from overseas, as the team has signed Artemi Panarin, Erik Gustafsson, David Kampf and Michal Kempny in recent years. The team had success a year ago as well when they signed German forward Dominik Kahun to a two-year entry-level contact, who proved to be a key depth piece after putting up 13 goals and 37 points. In Wedin, a 5-foot-11, 194-pound forward is known for his speed and all-around game, but he’ll have to fight for a roster space and may start the season in the AHL.

Maple Leafs Hire Paul McFarland As Assistant Coach

at CDT | by Leave a Comment

One assistant out, one assistant in for Mike Babcock and his staff. Sources including both Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman and TSN’s Bob McKenzie reported earlier that the Toronto Maple Leafs were expected to announce that Paul McFarland has been hired by team, and the team did just that not long after. This news comes soon after the official announcement that D.J. Smith has been hired away from the team to become the new head coach of the Ottawa Senators.

While these two hires come in close proximity, they may not actually be connected at all. Smith worked with defensemen and the penalty kill units for Toronto, while McFarland ran the power play for the Florida Panthers last season. In fact, McFarland played for the Windsor Spitfires when Smith was an assistant and later served as an assistant himself under Smith with the Oshawa Generals to begin his coaching career. McFarland was likely set to re-join his mentor with the Maple Leafs before Smith made the decision to depart for Ottawa. The real driving force behind McFarland’s hire is the anticipated departure of Jim Hiller, who ran Toronto’s power play this season. Hiller was given permission to seek other opportunities and as of earlier this month was linked to the Nashville Predators. Regardless of where he ends up, he was not expected back in Toronto and certainly won’t be now that McFarland is in the fold.

McFarland, 33, is more than just the beneficiary of opportunity in this situation, though. The former head coach of the OHL’s Kingston Frontenacs is considered a rising star in the coaching ranks and his dismissal from the Panthers was tied more to his connection to former head coach Bob Boughner than his performance. Actually, Florida ranked second in the NHL this season on the power play at 26.8% and received a greater proportion of their goals man-up than any other team in the league. McFarland did an excellent job, but seemingly didn’t fit into the plans of new head coach Joel Quenneville. Florida’s loss is Toronto’s gain, as the Ontario native returns home and brings his power play expertise with him to a roster chock full of potent offensive talent.

Even with McFarland’s addition, there will still be speculation that the departures of Smith and Hiller will leave the Maple Leafs in need of another coach. The most obvious option would be current AHL head coach Sheldon Keefe, a popular name in coaching circles who is currently guiding the Toronto Marlies through another deep playoff run. Toronto does not want to let Keefe leave the organization, which could mean they choose to promote him to Babcock’s staff, where he can take over some of the duties left behind in Smith’s absence.

Ottawa Senators Name D.J. Smith As Head Coach

at CDT | by 2 Comments

So much for those rumors linking Patrick Roy to the Ottawa Senators’ head coaching vacancy. The Senators announced this morning that former Toronto Maple Leafs assistant D.J. Smith has been named the team’s new head coach. Smith has agreed to a three-year contract to lead Ottawa, his first head coaching position in the NHL.

Smith, 42, may be a surprise pick to be the next bench boss of the Senators, but he is certainly as qualified as any first-time NHL head coach. Smith played eight seasons of pro hockey, suiting up for 45 NHL games but more memorably manning the blue line for the former St. John Maple Leafs of the AHL for parts of seven season. Smith retired from playing hockey in 2004 and immediately stepped into a role as an assistant coach for the OHL’s Windsor Spitfires, his hometown team with whom he had played his own junior hockey. Smith spent eight years in Windsor, two of which ended in Memorial Cup championships, before taking the head coach job for the rival Oshawa Generals in 2012. Smith’s time in Oshawa was short, but definitely effective. He compiled a record of 135-53-3-13 over three seasons with the Generals, won a Memorial Cup, and was named the OHL’s Coach of the Year. In 2015, Smith joined Toronto to begin his NHL coaching career as an assistant to Mike Babcock. Babcock made it known early on that he saw the potential in Smith and was grooming him to be a head coach and would not stand in the way of any move. Smith surely learned a lot from Babcock, but also contributed much to the team himself on the defensive side of the game.

Now, as he takes his talents to Ottawa, the Senators feel he can continue his upward trajectory. Smith’s history of winning, experience with young players, and focus on competent defense will all serve to benefit Ottawa greatly as they continue through a difficult rebuilding process. In the team’s release, GM Pierre Dorion states the following:

D.J. Smith is a winner. We believe he is the best person to drive the development and success of the Ottawa Senators. D.J is a great communicator and an exceptional strategist. His passionate approach, coupled with his ability to teach the game, is exactly what we were looking for throughout the process. We’re thrilled to welcome D.J. and his family to Ottawa.

Circling back to those Roy rumors, don’t close the door on the Hall of Fame goaltender joining the Senators just yet. The team is still in the hunt for a President of Hockey Operations and Roy would fit that description as well. One of the main reasons he left his last NHL post with the Colorado Avalanche was due to a lack of input in player personnel decisions, so he very well may be intrigued by a front office position. There’s also the slim but possible chance that the Senators would like to bring Roy in as an assistant to Smith, to help guide him through his start as a head coach. There is sure to be more movement in Ottawa this off-season, but their biggest move is completed with the hiring of a rival assistant to be their new head coach.

Morning Notes: Bruins’ Long Wait, Kapanen, Kakko, Svechnikov

at CDT | by 9 Comments

During his press conference on Saturday, Boston Bruins general manager Don Sweeney said the team would go outside the organization for advice on how utilize their time correctly considering they don’t play again until May 27, which is still eight days away. The Athletic’s Joe McDonald (subscription required) adds that Sweeney was talking about consulting the New England Patriots of the NFL, a team that has spent quite a bit of time playing in Super Bowl games.

In fact, Boston’s four major franchises have combined for 12 titles this century, but with six Super Bowl Championships, the Patriots may know how to stay sharp more than anyone. The team hopes to take some of Bill Belichick’s tips to heart. “Hopefully they’ll be able to share some information with us,” Sweeney said.

There was initially some talk of an intra-squad game, but there is no real way to simulate a Stanley Cup Finals game, nor is the team thrilled about opening up their players to possible injury. In the end, rest might be the best course of action.

In the short term, it’s really beneficial for our group. We’ve been pedal to the metal here, mentally and physically, for a while. I do believe in the short term it will help us a lot. Then it’s incumbent upon us to simulate the best we can with what’s going to be required going forward.

  • TVA Sports (translation required) suggests that while there are plenty of rumors surrounding the Montreal Canadiens being interested in putting together an offer sheet to pry Mitch Marner away from the Toronto Maple Leafs, the writer suggests instead the team should use an offer sheet instead to get Kasperi Kapanen, which would have a much higher chance of success. If the Canadiens offer Kapanen a deal anywhere from $4.23MM to $6.63MM for at least three years, the compensation would only be a first and a third-round pick, which would likely be worth the acquisition.
  • The New York Post’s Joseph Staszewski reports 2019 draft prospect Kaapo Kakko said that his goal is to become the No. 1 pick in the NHL draft to the New Jersey Devils. Kakko is currently expected to be the second-overall pick in the draft, slated to go to the New York Rangers with prospect Jack Hughes expected to end up in New Jersey. However, an impressive showing so far at the World Championships for Finland might be enough to push him one notch higher. “This is a big thing for me for the draft,” Kakko told NHL.com through a translator. “I think I can be the first [pick]. “I’ve played well. I haven’t paid much attention to Jack Hughes and his game, but I’m confident I’ve been able to let everyone see my skills and the level of my game. It’s not going to be an easy choice for the teams.”
  • Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press looks back at the Detroit Red Wings’ 2015 NHL draft, analyzing its success. The team drafted Evgeny Svechnikov that year, who lost some valuable development time last season when he was forced to undergo ACL surgery in September. While the team still has a few pending prospects from that draft, the key to the draft will be Svechnikov, who so far has just two goals in 16 games and needs a bounce-back season if they don’t want to look at that draft as a failure.

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