Maple Leafs Rumors

East Notes: Tavares, Nylander, Farabee, Aston-Reese

October 15, 2024 at 6:07 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley Leave a Comment

The Toronto Maple Leafs welcomed centerman John Tavares back to practice this morning after he missed the team’s last game due to illness, shares David Alter of The Hockey News. However, the flu-bug isn’t out of Toronto just yet, with Tavares’ linemate William Nylander missing the practice because of illness. Tavares stepped into a role on the second-line and top power-play unit with Nylander out.

Toronto loses a star and gains a star with these updates. Nylander leads the team in scoring with two goals through three games – the only Leaf to score multiple goals so far – though Tavares also scored in the team’s season opener. The duo were the focus of plenty of debate this summer, with many wondering if Nylander could fill the second-line center role that Tavares has served in since 2018-19. The former certainly showed signs of that capacity in Tavares’ absence, winning four of his six faceoffs on Sunday, though new head coach Craig Berube hasn’t fully entrusted him with that role. With the two now tagging out, Tavares will get a chance to prove that he can still be a productive member of the top-six, for a Maple Leafs team in need of the boost.

Other notes from out East:

Top Philadelphia Flyers winger Joel Farabee shared that he’ll be good to go for the team’s Tuesday night game against Edmonton, per Charlie O’Connor of PHLY Sports. Farabee missed the team’s Monday practice as the result of a “maintenance day”, as described by head coach John Tortorella. He’s recorded one goal and one assist through two games this season, one of just three Flyers with multiple points. Farabee will look to continue offering depth scoring on Tuesday.
Centerman Zach Aston-Reese has been cleared to return to the lineup after leaving the team’s Saturday game early, shares NHL.com’s Jeff Svoboda. Aston-Reese suffered an upper-body injury on his first shift of the game, though he was able to skate at practice on both Monday and Tuesday. Now back to full health, he’ll return to a gritty role on the team’s fourth-line, searching for his first NHL point since the 2022-23 campaign.

East Notes: Tavares, Woll, Lindgren, Aston-Reese, Red Wings

October 14, 2024 at 1:30 pm CDT | by Gabriel Foley 1 Comment

Toronto Maple Leafs centerman John Tavares continued to sit out of the team’s practices on Monday as he recovers from illness, shares TSN’s Mark Masters. Head coach Craig Berube said that Tavares is close to a return, but wasn’t quite fit enough for practice today. Tavares already missed Toronto’s Saturday win over the Pittsburgh Penguins, replaced in the lineup by Bobby McMann and Steven Lorentz.

Tavares is taking on a much different look this season, no longer donning the team’s ‘C’ and taking yet another hit in ice time. He’s averaged roughly 17 minutes through two games on the year, continuing his slip from 18 minutes in each of the last four seasons, and 19 minutes in his first two years with the Leafs. The 2009 first-overall pick is now 34 and entering the sunset years of his career, but that hasn’t meant a lack of scoring, as Tavares continues challenging point-per-game production with 29 goals and 65 points in 80 games last year. He’s now totaled 420 points in 442 games with Toronto, including a career-high 88 points in 2018-19, his first year with the club.

In addition to updates on Tavares, Masters also shared that goaltender Joseph Woll returned to the ice before the team’s formal practice, with Berube saying he could practice tomorrow. Toronto placed Woll on injured reserve with a lower-body injury on October 9^th. This marks his first return to skating, and notable progress as he looks to return to the role of starting goalie. In the meantime, Dennis Hildeby and Anthony Stolarz will continue to hold down Toronto’s crease.

Other notes from out East:

New York Rangers defenseman Ryan Lindgren returned to full contact at the team’s Monday practice, shares Vince Mercogliano of USA Today Sports. Mercogliano points out that Lindgren isn’t eligible to return until Thursday because of his IR placement on October 7^th. Head coach Peter Laviolette shared that Lindgren’s injury was suffered in a fight with Islanders defenseman Scott Mayfield, hence his full visor today. Lindgren recorded 17 points in 76 games with the Rangers last season, providing much-needed defensive accumen to the team’s top-four. He’ll get a chance to return to those top minutes when he’s eligible to return on Thursday.
Columbus Blue Jackets centerman Zach Aston-Reese was spotted at the team’s practice, though not a part of line rushes shares Aaron Portzline of The Athletic. Aston-Reese exited the team’s Saturday game early following a high hit on his first shift of the game. exiting the team’s Saturday game early, He’s gone without a point in two games with Columbus so far, though will certainly appreciate the chance to earn an NHL role after spending all of last season in the AHL, scoring 30 points in 61 games. Portzline points out that, should Aston-Reese sit, it will be Dylan Gambrell filling his role on the Columbus fourth-line.
Both forward Christian Fischer and defenseman Jeff Petry continue to sit out of Detroit’s practices with injury shares Helene St. James of the Detroit Free Press. Both players are nursing upper-body, day-to-day ailments and are expected to miss Detroit’s Monday night game. St. James notes that their absence on Monday will allow Austin Watson to join the lineup. Albert Johansson will be the likely favorite for any vacant role on defense. Both Fischer and Petry figure to contribute depth roles when they’re able to return.

Atlantic Notes: Barkov, Tavares, Power, Greenway, Peterka

October 12, 2024 at 8:20 pm CDT | by Josh Erickson Leave a Comment

7:00 PM : Toronto Maple Leafs centerman John Tavares missed the team’s Saturday matchup with illness.

10:00 AM : Imaging has revealed that Panthers captain Aleksander Barkov’s lower-body injury did not involve an ankle fracture (per Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman). That’s in line with David Pagnotta of The Fourth Period’s report yesterday that Barkov avoided the worst-case scenario after crashing into the boards near the end of Thursday’s 3-1 loss to the Senators and is out a few weeks with a lower-body injury.

It’ll still be a while before we see Barkov back on the ice, but it’s at least confirmation that he should be expected back around the end of the month. He also hasn’t been moved to long-term injured reserve (or injured reserve at all) yet, although that could come if the Panthers need more roster flexibility. They’ve already recalled Patrick Giles from AHL Charlotte in response to his injury and moved Tomáš Nosek to LTIR to create cap room to accommodate Giles.

In the meantime, Barkov’s absence provides plenty of opportunity for usual middle-six pivots Sam Bennett and Anton Lundell to see some more ice time. That could benefit Bennett’s point totals in a contract year, while Lundell is looking to prove he can shoulder heavier usage after inking a six-year, $30MM deal this summer.

Barkov, 29, had an assist and a -1 rating in two contests this year. He was his usual dominant self in the faceoff circle, winning 30% of his draws.

Elsewhere in the Atlantic Division:

Maple Leafs center John Tavares didn’t practice with the team this morning due to illness, the team said. He’s now likely questionable for tonight’s game against the Penguins. If he can’t go, line rushes indicate that Pontus Holmberg and Bobby McMann will slide up to the second line to play with William Nylander while Max Domi drops down from second-line left wing to third-line center, per David Alter of The Hockey News. Enforcer Ryan Reaves would also re-enter the lineup after serving as a healthy scratch for Thursday’s 4-2 win over the Devils. Tavares, 34, has a goal and a +1 rating in two appearances thus far.
Any concerns about Sabres Jordan Greenway and Owen Power missing tonight’s game after taking maintenance days yesterday have been quelled after they returned to practice this morning, relays Lance Lysowski of The Buffalo News. Winger John-Jason Peterka is also once again on the ice, marking the fourth straight day he’s been with the team while recovering from a concussion sustained during the Global Series earlier this month. He missed the home opener against the Kings on Thursday but appears to be an option to return tonight.

Woll Progressing But Hasn't Skated Since Being Injured

October 12, 2024 at 7:20 pm CDT | by Brian La Rose Leave a Comment

Maple Leafs goaltender Joseph Woll is progressing from his lower-body injury but still has not returned to the ice, relays Terry Koshan of the Toronto Sun (Twitter link). The netminder was expected to get the start on Wednesday’s opener but was scratched earlier in the day, landing on IR retroactively to his last preseason appearance to make a roster spot for Dennis Hildeby. Woll is entering his second full NHL season and posted a 2.97 GAA with a .904 SV% in 25 games last season and added a 0.86 GAA with a .963 SV% in three playoff appearances.

No Imminent Trade Coming For Liljegren

October 12, 2024 at 11:39 am CDT | by Brian La Rose 3 Comments

While there has been some trade speculation surrounding Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that there is no imminent move on the horizon. Toronto is currently carrying eight blueliners while also having offseason additions Jani Hakanpaa and Dakota Mermis on LTIR so their depth is in decent shape, something Dreger notes Toronto likes. However, while having strong depth is one thing, having a healthy scratch making $3MM through next season isn’t ideal. Still just 25, Liljegren has nearly 200 career NHL regular season games under his belt and is coming off a season that saw him collect 23 points in 55 games while logging nearly 20 minutes a night. Accordingly, it wouldn’t be surprising to see some trade interest in him in the coming weeks, especially if a team gets hit with some injuries on the back end. If not, they may still need to make a move in a few weeks as some of their injured players potentially return.

Donnie Marshall Passes Away At Age 92

October 10, 2024 at 5:11 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 2 Comments

Longtime member of the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers, Don Marshall, has passed away at the age of 92. The Canadiens organization revealed his passing in a team release. Marshall was the final living member of the 1950s Montreal dynasty that won five straight Stanley Cups from 1956 to 1960.

His career got off to a slow start in the 1951-52 campaign with the Canadiens suiting up in only one contest. It wasn’t until the 1954-55 season that Marshall became a consistent forward scoring three goals and eight points in 39 regular season games.

Marshall and the Canadiens lost in Game Seven of the Stanley Cup Final that season to the Detroit Red Wings but it brought in a wave of unprecedented success. Marshall chipped in with 64 goals and 136 points in 344 games for Montreal from 1956-60 with another four goals and 13 points in 49 postseason contests. The Canadiens went 20-5 over that stretch in the Stanley Cup Final with five consecutive championships which still stands as an NHL record.

The Verdun, Quebec native played another three years in Montreal before joining the Rangers for the 1963-64 NHL season. He enjoyed a second prime of his career in the Big Apple scoring 129 goals and 270 points in 479 games over seven years with New York. He bounced around the last two years with the Buffalo Sabres and Toronto Maple Leafs before finally hanging up his skates after the 1971-72 season.

Marshall retired with 265 goals and 589 points in 1176 games including seven All-Star Game appearances*. He and the rest of the Canadiens dynasty from the 1950s will continue to live as a special part of our game’s history. PHR extends our condolences to Marshall’s friends, families, and the four organizations he played for.

*Readers note: From 1947-1968, the All-Star Game included the respective season’s defending Stanley Cup champions facing All-Stars from other clubs. Marshall played only once as a member of the All-Star team in 1967-68.

Toronto Places Joseph Woll On IR, Move Connor Dewar To LTIR

October 9, 2024 at 4:03 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 3 Comments

The Toronto Maple Leafs recalled goaltender Dennis Hildeby earlier this morning with Joseph Woll missing the next few days due to “lower-body tightness“. It’s official the latter goaltender will miss at least the next three games with PuckPedia reporting the organization has placed him on injured reserve.

The news doesn’t bode well for the organization as injury concerns have plagued Woll since he became the full-time goaltender last season. An ankle injury suffered last year lost him nearly two months of the regular season limiting him to only 25 games played. The Maple Leafs brought in a solid insurance option this summer in Anthony Stolarz but the team prefers to have both netminders healthy and available.

[SOURCE LINK]

Although many of the headlines will be taken by Mitch Marner’s extension negotiations, the Maple Leafs have another big one to focus on. Pierre LeBrun writes in The Athletic that the organization has begun contract talks with center John Tavares who will become an unrestricted free agent next summer. LeBrun shares that there’s mutual understanding between Tavares and Toronto that there will be a pay cut upon his $11MM salary but the scale factor of change is still up in the air. That will make the extension negotiations more delicate but there is still a desire between both parties to extend their relationship.

Maple Leafs Recall Dennis Hildeby On Emergency Basis

October 9, 2024 at 11:13 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 3 Comments

The Maple Leafs announced they’ve recalled goalie Dennis Hildeby from AHL Toronto on an emergency basis. He’ll back up Anthony Stolarz in tonight’s season opener against the Canadiens. Joseph Woll won’t dress after experiencing “lower-body tightness” and is also questionable for tomorrow’s game against the Devils, head coach Craig Berube told reporters (including David Alter of The Hockey News).

It’s another cup of coffee in the NHL for Hildeby, who’s yet to make his in-game debut but spent a few days on the roster last season under similar circumstances. The 23-year-old Swede was an overage draft pick out of the Färjestad BK organization in 2022, going to Toronto in the fourth round. He was one of the first players from the class to sign his entry-level contract but spent his post-draft season back on loan to Färjestad.

Hildeby arrived in North America full-time last season, emerging as a legitimate No. 3 option. The 6’7″, 223-lb netminder was excellent for the Marlies, recording a 2.41 GAA, .914 SV%, four shutouts, and a 21-11-7 record in 41 appearances. He was named to the AHL’s All-Star Game and tied for second in shutouts among rookie goaltenders.

He’s not yet breaking down the door to challenge Woll, one of the league’s better young goaltenders when healthy, or Stolarz, arguably the league’s best backup goaltender last season with the Panthers, for full-time NHL minutes, though. Nonetheless, he’ll look to at least make his NHL debut in spot duty at some point this season, the last one of his entry-level contract before becoming a restricted free agent for the first time.

That means Stolarz is landing the opening-night start in a pivotal campaign for both player and team. The 30-year-old landed a two-year, $5MM commitment from the Leafs on the open market this offseason after recording career highs across the board with Florida last year, posting a 16-7-2 record in 27 appearances with a league-leading .925 SV% and 2.03 GAA among qualified netminders. While he’s never taken on much of a significant workload, Stolarz has been an above-average netminder in his NHL minutes, recording a .915 SV% and 18.0 GSAA across 108 games.

Maple Leafs Sign Max Pacioretty, Steven Lorentz; Extend Cade Webber

October 7, 2024 at 9:23 am CDT | by Josh Erickson 4 Comments

The Maple Leafs have signed forwards Max Pacioretty and Steven Lorentz to one-year deals after they attended training camp on professional tryouts, the team announced Monday. They’ve also signed pending restricted free agent defenseman Cade Webber to a two-year extension, keeping him under contract through the 2026-27 season.

Pacioretty’s deal is a 35+ contract with a cap hit of $873,770 with up to $626,230 in additional performance bonuses, Daily Faceoff’s Frank Seravalli reports. He’ll receive half those bonuses if he plays 10 games this season and all if he plays 35. The total potential value of the contract is $1.5MM. Lorentz’s deal is a straightforward one-way, league-minimum pact worth $775K, per Seravalli. Webber’s contract carries an $825K cap hit and is a two-way deal in 2025-26 before becoming a one-way pact in 2026-27, adds Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic.

Pacioretty, 35, is looking to get back on track in Toronto after a pair of Achilles tendon tears cost him most of the past two seasons. After playing just five games with the Hurricanes in 2022-23, he signed with the Capitals last summer. He made his season debut after completing his recovery in January, but his goal-scoring output plummeted from years past. ’Patches’ shot just 4.2%, scoring four goals in 47 contests while adding 19 assists for 23 points.

The former Canadiens captain is a six-time 30-goal scorer, though. While he likely won’t land top-six minutes in Toronto and thus has virtually no chance of replicating that feat, his shooting percentage should rebound to its usual 10 to 12 percent and put him back on track for double-digit scoring totals in a third-line role if he stays healthy. That’s certainly a big if, considering he hasn’t played more than 50 games in a season since the 2019-20 campaign. Still, he’ll likely open the season as the team’s 3LW alongside Pontus Holmberg and Bobby McMann or Nicholas Robertson.

Lorentz, 28, brings a Stanley Cup ring and 230 games of NHL experience to Toronto’s fourth line. The natural center played 16 of the Panthers’ 24 playoff games last year en route to the franchise’s first championship, scoring twice and adding an assist for three points with a -1 rating while averaging 7:07 per game. He won’t be much of an offensive factor, averaging seven goals and 15 points per 82 games throughout his regular season career. But he’s serviceable enough in the faceoff dot, winning 48.7% of his draws, and his possession quality numbers at even strength are historically above water. He’ll likely start at left wing, with David Kämpf centering the Leafs’ fourth line.

Webber won’t be making his NHL debut in the next few days. He’s waiver-exempt and will need to be assigned to AHL Toronto today so the Leafs can reduce their opening-night roster to a maximum of 23 players. However, the 2019 fourth-round pick stayed in the mix until the end and has seemingly impressed the Leafs since signing his entry-level contract at the end of last season. The stay-at-home defender is coming off a four-year run at Boston University, where he served as an alternate captain last year and posted six assists and a +15 rating in 38 games. He should still be in line for his NHL debut at some point this year, even if it’s not during opening week.

Pacioretty’s oddly specific cap hit has much to do with Toronto optimizing their long-term injured reserve capture to open the season, giving them as much financial flexibility as possible while dealing with some injuries. As outlined by The Score’s Kyle Cushman, the Leafs are expected to submit an opening-night roster with just $1 in cap space pending multiple moves, including returning top forward prospect Easton Cowan to his junior team, placing Fraser Minten on season-opening injured reserve with his high ankle sprain, placing Connor Dewar on standard IR, and placing Jani Hakanpää, Calle Järnkrok, and Dakota Mermis on LTIR.

Waiver Wire: 10/6/24

October 6, 2024 at 1:40 pm CDT | by Brennan McClain 25 Comments

Today is the major day for the waiver wire as most teams in the NHL are preparing the 23-man rosters for the 2024-25 NHL season. Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman confirmed that all players on waivers from yesterday have cleared. The following list is each player placed on waivers this afternoon as reported by PuckPedia.

Boston Bruins

F Patrick Brown
G Brandon Bussi
G Jiri Patera
D Billy Sweezey
F Jeffrey Viel

Buffalo Sabres

D Kale Clague
G James Reimer
F Lukas Rousek

Calgary Flames

G Devin Cooley
F Jakob Pelletier
F Cole Schwindt

Carolina Hurricanes

F Josiah Slavin
D Ty Smith
F Ryan Suzuki

Chicago Blackhawks

D Isaak Phillips

Detroit Red Wings

F Sheldon Dries
D Justin Holl
D William Lagesson
D Brogan Rafferty
F Joe Snively