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Mark Hunter Joins Hockey Canada

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If the Edmonton Oilers were considering Mark Hunter for their vacant GM position, they may have to move on to another candidate. Hockey Canada announced that Hunter will join their Program of Excellence and will manage the U20 and National Junior programs in 2019-20. Martin Mondou and Alan Miller will run the U17 and U18 programs respectively.

Hunter, the former assistant GM for the Toronto Maple Leafs, is now back with the London Knights of the OHL. Hunter and his brother own the junior team, which is set to be a big player in the OHL playoffs once again and perhaps go to the Memorial Cup. Several players from that team may also be considered for the Canadian World Junior squad, including top scorer Connor McMichael who has exploded onto the scene with 70 points in 62 games.

The 56-year old Hunter was rumored to be on the Oilers short list for their open position, but likely won’t be a candidate any longer. That’s obviously not guaranteed, but with Bob Nicholson saying recently he wants to conduct interviews in the next two weeks, this news comes as an obvious red flag.

Mac Hollowell Signs Entry-Level Contract

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed one of their impressive defensive prospects, inking Mac Hollowell to a three-year entry-level contract. Hollowell is currently playing for the Sault Ste. Marie Greyhounds of the OHL. The deal will kick in for the 2019-20 season.

Selected 118th overall last June in his second year of eligibility, Hollowell went back to the OHL for his overage season and currently leads all OHL defensemen in scoring with 72 points in 59 games. The undersized, right-handed defenseman is a natural powerplay quarterback and can move the puck with ease through his junior competition. The big test will come next season though when he will be jumping into professional hockey.

There is an obvious connection between Hollowell and Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas, who ran the Greyhounds before moving to Toronto. The small defenseman also represents Dubas’ vision of a blue line loaded with players capable of moving the puck quickly and effectively up to their talented forwards. Obviously Hollowell has a long way to go to see the NHL—if he gets there at all—but this season certainly proved he could dominate the junior ranks if given the opportunity.

Toronto Maple Leafs Extend Andreas Borgman

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have scratched another name off their long list of pending restricted free agents, this time signing Andreas Borgman to a one-year two-way contract extension worth $700K at the NHL level.

Borgman, 23, has spent the entire season in the minor leagues after playing 48 games for the Maple Leafs last year, but has been hampered by concussion problems throughout. In 39 games for the Toronto Marlies the Swedish defenseman has 15 points. A deal like this ensures that Borgman will be back with the organization next season, but does nothing to guarantee he’ll see time with the Maple Leafs in 2019-20.

The Maple Leafs signed Borgman after just a single year in the SHL—in which he was named Rookie of the Year—and inserted him into the lineup immediately. His relatively small stature belied the physical game that he brought, as he routinely threw open ice body checks and used his strength to remove opponents from the puck. Unfortunately injury has stolen much of his time in Toronto, something he’ll have to avoid in the future in order to climb the depth chart once again. The Maple Leafs already project to have three top options—Morgan Rielly, Jake Muzzin and Travis Dermott—plugged into the left side for next season, with others like Calle Rosen and even Rasmus Sandin battling for opportunities.

The Maple Leafs have made a concerted effort to sign their depth options to inexpensive contracts over the last few months, inking the likes of Rosen, Trevor Moore, Garret Sparks and now Borgman to contracts with a cap hit under $800K. That is obviously what the team will continue to have to do in order to stay cap compliant, given the high prices of their star talent. Toronto now has ten players scheduled to become restricted free agents this summer, including Mitch Marner, Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson.

Snapshots: Oilers, Boqvist, Radulov

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The Edmonton Oilers want to start GM interviews in the next two weeks according to CEO Bob Nicholson, who spoke to reporters at the front office meetings in Florida today. Nicholson admitted that he hasn’t yet asked for permission to speak with any currently employed executives, but will be looking into that in the near future after he has all the information. Vegas assistant GM Kelly McCrimmon, who was noted as a top candidate for both the Oilers and Seattle expansion job, will not be allowed to speak with other teams until after the season according to several reports including the latest Insider Trading panel.

On that panel insider Darren Dreger noted that the Oilers have narrowed their short list to somewhere around ten names, a group including McCrimmon, interim GM Keith Gretzky, Dave Nonis, Sean Burke, Mike Futa and Mark Hunter among others. The Oilers simply must get this hire right as they try to turn things around and take advantage of Connor McDavid and Leon Draisaitl’s prime.

  • The Chicago Blackhawks knew they were getting an incredible offensive talent in Adam Boqvist when they selected him eighth overall last June, but Scott Powers of The Athletic (subscription required) believes the young defenseman may benefit from another year in junior hockey in 2019-20. That belief is supported by a source who tells Powers that the Blackhawks are discussing keeping Boqvist in the OHL instead of moving him to the AHL next season. The 19-year old has 56 points in 50 games for the London Knights this year and is second among OHL defensemen in goals with 19. London is well known as an NHL development machine, and could very well give Boqvist some Memorial Cup experience this season.
  • The Dallas Stars won’t have one of their top offensive weapons in the lineup tonight as the team will take Alexander Radulov out despite him being healthy enough to play. Radulov was late to practice this morning and will be punished by missing a game, a pretty meaningful development for a team trying to hold on to a playoff spot in the Western Conference. Radulov has 51 points in 54 games this season but will have to hope his teammates can take down the New York Rangers without him.

Toronto Maple Leafs Extend Garret Sparks

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The Toronto Maple Leafs made a decision at the beginning of this season to make Garret Sparks their backup goaltender, and it appears as though that won’t change for now. The Maple Leafs have signed Sparks on a one-year extension that carries a salary of $750K. Sparks was set to become a restricted free agent with arbitration eligibility this summer after his current two-year $1.35MM contract expires.

Sparks, 25, was handed the full-time backup role when the Maple Leafs decided to put both Curtis McElhinney and Calvin Pickard on waivers at the beginning of the season. Both goaltenders were claimed leaving the team bereft of any depth at the position, and just a Frederik Andersen injury away from seeing Sparks in net on a regular basis. While Andersen did deal with a minor injury at one point, the Maple Leafs starting goaltender has been brilliant and is now tied with Marc Andre-Fleury for the league lead in wins with 32. Sparks meanwhile has played in just 14 games and carries a .902 save percentage.

That number has upset many fans, who point to Michael Hutchinson or the other available goaltenders as better options. Hutchinson was acquired during the year to give them some more experience in the minor leagues, but actually performed better than Sparks in his short stint in the NHL.

Still, the organization obviously believes that Sparks can be a positive for the organization. It certainly doesn’t hurt that when Kyle Dubas was still GM of the Toronto Marlies last season, Sparks was named Goaltender of the Year en route to a Calder Cup championship. He had an incredible .936 save percentage on the year in the AHL, not the first time he has shown outstanding ability in the minor leagues.

There is something different about being a backup in the NHL though, and Sparks has yet to really find his groove as a goaltender who only plays once every few weeks. Head coach Mike Babcock is notorious for only giving his second goaltender a start on the back half of a back-to-back situation, games that are already more difficult for the team to win because of fatigue.

This extension keeps Sparks in the organization for another year, but also sets him up to become an unrestricted free agent in the summer of 2020. At that point he could try to find another opportunity where he can fight for a starting role, one that he’s certainly not going to get in Toronto while Andersen remains at the top of his game. This also doesn’t preclude the Maple Leafs from going out and adding another backup option to battle in training camp, though Sparks would need to clear waivers to be sent to the minor leagues.

Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet was first to report the contract on Twitter.

Snapshots: Karlsson, Thompson, Lafreniere, Maple Leafs

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The San Jose Sharks got some good news regarding the status of star defenseman Erik Karlsson, who will miss his second straight game Sunday with a strained groin. Head coach Peter DeBoer confirmed that Karlsson is suffering from the same strained groin injury that kept him out for nine straight games in January and February. However, the injury won’t require surgery, according to NHL.com’s Eric Gilmore.

“It’s a version of the same injury,” DeBoer said after receiving the latest medical test results on the 28-year-old defenseman. “I don’t anticipate it being long term. No surgery, nothing like that. But we’re going to be obviously extra cautious and make sure.”

Karlsson is a key piece to the Sharks’ success this year as they try to overtake the Calgary Flames for the top spot in the Pacific Division. Karlsson has three goals and 45 points in 52 games, but has only played four games since Jan. 16. He re-injured his groin on Feb. 23 against Columbus. DeBoer said that all Karlsson needs is time, but there is no timetable on how long he’ll be out.

Atlantic Notes: Senators, Kadri, Howard, Rosen

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With Guy Boucher out as head coach in Ottawa Friday, and 18 games left in the season, the young Ottawa Senators must make a quick decision on their head coaching job this summer. The team gave the interim tag to Marc Crawford, but unless he can turn around the franchise in those 18 games, the Sporting News’ Murray Pam writes that general manager Pierre Dorion may opt to look for a new voice to coach the franchise.

Among the top potential candidates that could take over this summer, Pam suggests that 66-year-old Jacques Martin could be an interesting candidate that can give the team a fresh voice. The veteran coach, who was raised in Saint-Pascal, Ont., not far from Ottawa, has been an assistant coach with the Pittsburgh Penguins for the last six years, 31 years of NHL experience and has two Stanley Cup rings.

One obvious candidate could also come from within as the Belleville Senators’ head coach, Troy Mann, who has done an impressive job in his first year as head coach of the AHL franchise and already knows many of the players on the team’s roster. His recent track record is the most interesting as he has led the team to a 16-game unbeaten streak as the team has gone 11-0-5 and is on the cusp of the AHL playoffs. He’s in his fifth year as an AHL head coach. The scribe throws in several other candidates, including Montreal Canadiens’ assistant Luke Richardson and Columbus Blue Jackets’ assistant Brad Shaw.

  • Despite missing his sixth straight game Saturday, Toronto Maple Leafs Nazem Kadri, who has been out with a concussion, seems to be improving. According to The Star’s Kevin McGran, Kadri skated this morning, which is a good sign for his recovery. “Obviously, our medical staff has to do a good job with those guys and keep them out as long as they’re supposed to be out,” said Leafs coach Mike Babcock. “I think it’s obviously good for him to be out there, just morale-wise. It looks like he’s going in the right direction. I didn’t talk to the coaches since he’s been out, just to see what kind of skate they were able to give him and what he was able to handle. (We’ll) still monitor that and see, and then we’ll see how hard we can push him. I don’t know when he’s ready.”
  • Detroit Red Wings goaltender Jimmy Howard has struggled immensely in the month of February, posting a 3.97 GAA and a .866 save percentage in nine games. On top of that, he has been pulled from his last three games, not exactly what you’d expect from a goaltender who represented the Atlantic Division at the All-Star Game. However, don’t expect the veteran to give up. Howard has spent countless hours studying video of his play, trying to figure out what’s gone wrong, according to Dana Gauruder of the Detroit Free Press. “To be honest, going through the video, it’s just being off by a fraction,” he said. “Not having the correct angle. When you don’t have that as a goalie, guys can put the puck in tight areas and that’s what’s happened.”
  • With recent injuries to Toronto Maple Leafs’ defensemen Travis Dermott and Jake Gardiner, many fans have wondered why Toronto hasn’t turned to promising young defenseman Calle Rosen. The 25-year-old has been tearing up the AHL with the Toronto Marlies this year and signed a two-year extension with the team back in December. However, Rosen can’t be recalled yet, according to the Toronto Sun’s Lance Hornby, because he took a puck off his foot a few days ago and isn’t ready to return to the ice just yet. Regardless, Rosen, who has seven goals and 44 points in 52 games with the Marlies, could be called up soon.

Toronto Tried To Sign Andreas Johnsson To An Extension Last Week

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  • While it was known that the Maple Leafs had looked to get winger Kasperi Kapanen locked up by the trade deadline, TSN’s Darren Dreger reports (Twitter link) that they also tried to do the same with winger Andreas Johnsson. The rookie has been quite productive as of late and is just one goal away from cracking the 20-goal mark which will have him in line for a considerable raise on his current salary of just under $788K.  However, Dreger notes that Johnsson’s preference at this point is to wait, presumably until the offseason when his arbitration eligibility will become a factor as well.

Travis Dermott Out Four Weeks

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The Toronto Maple Leafs will have to deal with an incredibly thin blue line for most of the remainder of the season. The team announced today that Travis Dermott will be out for four weeks following the shoulder injury he sustained last night. Dermott was hit into the boards by Brad Malone of the Edmonton Oilers and immediately left the game in obvious pain.

Dermott will join Jake Gardiner on the shelf tonight as the Maple Leafs try to find a way around their defensive issues. Martin Marincin has been recalled to take his place while Justin Holl is expected to enter the lineup on the right side. The team is set to take on the New York Islanders in an important Eastern Conference matchup, and one that will see John Tavares make his return to Nassau Coliseum.

Originally selected 34th overall in 2015, Dermott has been quite the find for Toronto the past two seasons. Stepping into the lineup last year the mobile defender has proven he belongs at the NHL level and was given more responsibility this season. While he has still not completely earned the trust of head coach Mike Babcock, the 22-year old defenseman was already averaging more than 17 minutes a night on a team that has other experienced options on the left side. His future in Toronto looks bright, especially given Gardiner’s impending unrestricted free agency.

For now though Dermott will be out for almost the entire rest of the season. Four weeks from today would leave just five games left in the Maple Leafs’ season, meaning the young defenseman will need to get up to speed quickly if he is to play a role in the playoffs.

Toronto’s Defensive Depth Thinner Than Ever

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For most of the season and even previous years, many have pointed to the Toronto Maple Leafs blue line as their obvious weakness. Even with their glut of talented forwards, the team struggled at times because of the lack of defensive awareness or skill on the back end. With Travis Dermott’s emergence late last season that was partially corrected, and when the team went out and acquired Jake Muzzin from the Los Angeles Kings the group took another step forward. While they were obviously left-heavy, there was enough talent there to perhaps take the team deep into the playoffs. That’s why they ultimately decided against adding another name at the trade deadline, given the high prices floated around for available right-handed defensemen.

Now though, that decision looks like a mistake. The Maple Leafs announced yesterday that Jake Gardiner would be out on a week-to-week basis with a back injury, and then lost Dermott during the game to a shoulder injury. Head coach Mike Babcock used the same designation as Gardiner to describe Dermott’s injury timeline, though the team has not given any additional information. That’s two major pieces down in a matter of days, and James Mirtle of The Athletic (subscription required) writes that Gardiner’s injury may actually be similar to the one Zach Parise dealt with that cost him 39 games last season. If that’s true, there’s a chance that Gardiner isn’t even ready to help the team in the playoffs at all.

The Maple Leafs will recall Martin Marincin today and will ice him alongside Justin Holl in tonight’s game against the New York Islanders. The pair has incredibly totaled just 20 games at any level this season, instead spending most of the year in the press box watching the action. That’s a disastrous place for a playoff contender to be in, even if both have shown at least some level of competence in the past.

Muzzin, who has averaged just over 19 minutes a game since arriving in Toronto (well under his career norm), will now have to take on much more responsibility down the stretch. He and Morgan Rielly will likely anchor the first two pairs and powerplay units, while Ron Hainsey and Nikita Zaitsev continue their work on the penalty kill.

After last night’s win against the Edmonton Oilers, the Maple Leafs sit third in the Atlantic Division but right on the heels of the Boston Bruins. The last 19 games of the season will determine who of those two receives home ice advantage in an almost certain first-round matchup, something that has had dire consequences in recent years. Without Gardiner and Dermott for a good chunk of the year, it will be extremely tough to secure that spot.

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