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Maple Leafs Show Interest In Luke Glendening

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The Toronto Maple Leafs showed interest in Detroit Red Wings forward Luke Glendening last season, but ended up adding Tomas Plekanec at the deadline instead. That interest hasn’t waned according to Frank Seravalli of TSN, who reports that the Maple Leafs have “kicked the tires” on Glendening again. Seravalli suggests a deal would need the Red Wings to retain salary on the fourth-line center, who carries a cap hit of $1.8MM in each of the next two seasons.

The 29-year old Glendening is an excellent faceoff man and penalty killer, and is actually having the best offensive season of his career. Receiving more minutes than ever before, Glendening has 18 points in 54 minutes, on pace to easily cruise by his career-high of 21. That has also come with a surprisingly good +9 rating, despite still seeing heavy defensive zone deployment and losing the possession battle badly.

Toronto currently employs a pair of natural centers on the fourth line, with Frederik Gauthier usually playing in the middle with Par Lindholm on his wing. One of those two would likely be taken out of the lineup in favor of Glendening, a favorite of Mike Babcock since his days with the Red Wings. There’s no guarantee that Glendening would actually have a bigger impact than either of those two on the ice, though his leadership and work ethic has long been admired around the league.

The question them comes down to price, and Seravalli suggests that it would start with a second-round pick given the recent Brian Boyle trade. The Maple Leafs have already sent their first-round selection to Los Angeles for Jake Muzzin, and are also short a sixth-round pick in this year’s draft. Toronto obviously believes this is a year they can compete for the Stanley Cup, but have to be careful about sending away too many draft picks before they’ve even won a playoff round. Still, if Detroit is willing to retain salary on Glendening he could give the team a little more cost certainty on the fourth line for the next few years when cash will be tight.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Auston Matthews Signs Five-Year Extension

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have signed their young superstar to a huge contract, inking a five-year extension with Auston Matthews. The deal will carry an annual average value of $11.634MM, and be paid almost entirely in signing bonuses. Bob McKenzie of TSN provides the yearly breakdown:

  • 2019-20: $700K salary, $15.2MM signing bonus
  • 2020-21: $700K salary, $15.2MM signing bonus
  • 2021-22: $750K salary, $9.7MM signing bonus
  • 2022-23: $750K salary, $7.2MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $750K salary, $7.2MM signing bonus

A deal with a cap hit of this magnitude is almost unprecedented for a player coming out of his entry-level contract, and Matthews is now in line to start next season with the second-highest hit in the entire league (pending any other contracts/extensions). Only Connor McDavid’s $12.5MM will eclipse the Toronto center, and his eight-year deal bought out four years of unrestricted free agency. Matthews is giving up just a single year of UFA status with this contract, meaning he is now scheduled to hit the open market as a 26-year old in the prime of his career. The Maple Leafs will try to avoid that with another huge extension, but there is little doubt that Matthews has set himself up to be one of the highest earners in NHL history.

There’s good reason for this huge contract. Matthews came into the league after being selected first overall in 2016 and immediately established himself as one of the best goal scorers in the NHL. With four goals in his rookie debut, the 6’3″ center put the league on notice and carried it all the way to a 40-goal, Calder Trophy-winning season in 2016-17. His 32 even-strength tallies led the league that year, and he received votes for the Lady Byng, Selke and Hart trophies. Last year was a bit different, as the Maple Leafs forward dealt with injuries that limited him to just 62 games. Still, he racked up 34 goals and 63 points while still only seeing 18 minutes of ice time a night.

This year has also seen him miss some time with a shoulder injury, but Matthews is playing at an even higher level than the past. With 46 points in 38 games he has a chance to set a career-high and will likely post the third consecutive 30+ goal campaign of his young career. That kind of goal production puts him in elite company, and is a huge part of why he was given the biggest deal possible.

This is, undoubtedly, the biggest deal the Maple Leafs could offer. An eight-year extension would have pushed Matthews’ cap hit into a place that made the rest of their roster unmanageable, given the huge contracts already handed out to John Tavares and William Nylander and upcoming negotiation with Mitch Marner—not to mention Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson. Matthews’ likely eight-year ask was north of McDavid’s $12.5MM mark, which would have left the team in an almost untenable situation. In order to avoid that, they had to deal with the fact that Matthews could very well walk away in free agency a few years sooner.

Still, this has dramatic positives for the team. For one, the Maple Leafs now have a much clearer picture of where they stand financially moving forward, and have that knowledge well ahead of this year’s trade deadline. If the team is still interested in adding to this group, they can understand much more accurately the picture going forward. Second, after a long and public negotiation with Nylander dragged well into the season, the team can now cross the first name on their list off and focus on Marner’s next deal. That negotiation isn’t expected to start until after the season at the player’s request.

The Maple Leafs have a clear window for success. Signing Tavares last offseason likely shortened it, given the ramifications that it caused like shortening Matthews’ contract. GM Kyle Dubas and the rest of the organization are betting that bringing in the $11MM forward from the New York Islanders improves their chances in that shortened window and will hopefully result in their first Stanley Cup in decades. They just doubled down on that bet, and now have six years (including this one) to find some success in the playoffs before dealing with another Matthews contract.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

Minnesota, Ottawa Put Three Players On Waivers

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Monday: All three players have cleared waivers and can now be sent to the minor leagues.

Sunday: Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman reports the Minnesota Wild and Ottawa Senators put three players on waivers Sunday as the Wild placed defenseman Nate Prosser and winger J.T. Brown on waivers, while the Senators put winger Nick Paul on waivers as well. Friedman also reported that Toronto Maple Leafs’ Martin Marincin and Buffalo Sabres’ Remi Elie both cleared waivers.

Loaded with eight defensemen after the team traded for Brad Hunt and claimed Anthony Bitetto off waivers from Nashville, the Wild had to add some roster flexibility. Wild general manager Paul Fenton is starting to get more active as this is the sixth roster move the team has made in less than three weeks. The team had no choice to make a move and still have two of their top young players, Joel Eriksson Ek and Luke Kunin sitting in Iowa, awaiting a recall since the All-Star break.

For Prosser, the move likely means the end of the line in Minnesota. The Wild also have defenseman Matt Dumba on IR currently and while he’s not expected back too soon, the team does expect him back at some point this season, meaning they had to make some move. The 32-year-old veteran was a great locker-room presence, but he has appeared in just 15 games this season and hasn’t registered a point. Prosser has played most of his career in Minnesota since signing as an undrafted free agent in 2010. He did opt to sign in St. Louis before the 2017-18 season, but only played one game for the Blues before the Wild claimed him off of waivers from him. He played 56 games for Minnesota last year. If he passes through waivers, which is no guarantee as many teams might be interested in a veteran defenseman, the team can opt to keep him on the roster or send him to the Iowa Wild of the AHL.

Brown makes his second trip to the waiver wire as Brown was put on waivers last year in January by the Tampa Bay Lightning and claimed by the Anaheim Ducks, playing in a bottom-six role for the Ducks. He then opted to sign with the Wild and has played sporadically, often being designated as a healthy scrtatch. He played in 35 games for Minnesota this year, posting a goal and four points.

As for Ottawa, NHL teams could find some interest in the 6-foot-4 Paul, who is still just 23 years old and has some potential. Unfortunately, he hasn’t shown that in 20 games with Ottawa as he’s put up just one goal and two points, while averaging just 8:28 of ice time. He played just 5:17 against Pittsburgh Friday and if he clears looks like he’ll be headed back to Belleville of the AHL. Paul cleared waivers to start the season, but the team had to place him back on waivers to return him to the AHL. He has played 15 games there, posting two goals and 11 points.

Offer Sheet Unlikely For Mitch Marner

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  • While there has been some speculation regarding a potential offer sheet for Maple Leafs winger Mitch Marner this offseason, Matt Larkin of The Hockey News examines why it’s very unlikely to happen. In particular, it would be difficult to find a threshold below the four first-rounder mark that Marner would be willing to sign and Toronto would not be willing to match.  With there being numerous quality restricted free agents this coming summer, there is a chance someone tries an offer sheet but it’s unlikely to involve the 21-year-old who already has 63 points so far this season.

Atlantic Notes: Buffalo Trade Options, Point, Ennis, Jaros

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With a desperation for scoring wingers, The Athletic’s Jon Vogl (subscription required) writes that the Buffalo Sabres need to consider moving some of its depth on defense if it wants to add some secondary scoring to its ranks. The team is in desperate need at the right wing position, both now and in the near future, and there is little help on the way from Rochester. The Americans top two right wingers are Daniel O’Regan, who is expected to become a Group VI unrestricted free agent this offseason due to not playing enough games at the NHL level, while the team’s first-line right winger, Wayne Simpson, is on a minor-league deal.

Vogl writes the team is overloaded with defenseman with more help on the way as the team has Brendan Guhle, Brandon Hickey and Will Borgen are performing well in Rochester. With that kind of depth, the team should consider moving a depth defenseman like Nathan Beaulieu, Marco Scandella, Matt Hunwick or even Jake McCabe as trade options to get a winger. He suggests that Dallas, Detroit, New Jersey, St. Louis and Winnipeg as potential trade partners before the deadline.

  • Despite missing Saturday’s game with a lower-body injury and being listed day-to-day, Tampa Bay Lightning coach Jon Cooper said after the game that Brayden Point was held out as a precaution because it was the second game of a back-to-back set and the team has a day off today, according to NHL.com’s Dan Rosen. Cooper added that he believes Point should be OK and is likely to play against Vegas on Tuesday.
  • NHL.com’s Dave McCarthy reports the Toronto Maple Leafs got some good news as forward Tyler Ennis, who has been out of the lineup since Dec. 22 with a broken ankle, skated Saturday and is coming closer to a potential return, although head coach Mike Babcock was quick to point out that there is no timeline for his return. “I don’t know exactly the timeline on that,” Babcock said. “I know he skated real well today in his testing. They always tell you, ’I’m ready, I’m ready’ but that doesn’t mean they get a get-out-jail free card yet.”
  • Ottawa Citizen’s Ken Warren reports the Ottawa Senators offered no new information on the injury suffered by defenseman Christian Jaros when he was tripped into the boards Saturday by Detroit’s Darren Helm. He remains day-to-day. Jaros has been averaging 13:48 of ATOI, but has seen an increase of ice time recently, even getting some top-four minutes.

 

Minor Transactions: 02/03/19

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It’s Super Bowl Sunday and the eyes of the world’s sports fans will likely be fixated on just that one big event later on tonight. Yet, the NHL will continue with business as usual, albeit with a small three-game slate today. The Boston Bruins will face the Washington Capitals early this afternoon before rooting on their football counterparts, the New England Patriots, later on tonight. The Edmonton Oilers and Montreal Canadiens square off later this afternoon, as do head coach Bill Peters and the Calgary Flames in a homecoming against the Carolina Hurricanes. Other teams will be active as well, just in the front office, making minor changes to their rosters in anticipation of the coming week of games. Keep up with all the transactions here:

  • One day after handing Michael McNiven his first NHL call-up to serve as the team’s backup, the Montreal Canadiens have sent the young goaltender back down, per the AHL. Curiously, the team has flipped yesterday’s transaction completely and have recalled buried defenseman Karl Alzner. Alzner has played in just one game with the Habs since November and has suited up for the AHL’s Laval Rocket for more games than he has with Montreal this season. Yet, the team seems open to giving him another chance to earn his keep in the second half. Alzner is signed for three more seasons at $4.625MM and the Canadiens would undoubtedly like to see his play improve to the point that he can win his job back.
  • As hinted at yesterday, the Washington Capitals have now officially reassigned defenseman Christian Djoos to the AHL’s Hershey Bears on a conditioning assignment. Djoos has returned from a serious bout with compartment syndrome sooner than expected, but the Caps would rather he work out the kinks in his game and get back up to speed down in the minors. He’ll get the start for Hershey right away today. Djoos should be patrolling the D.C. blue line again soon enough, though.
  • After clearing waivers today, the Buffalo Sabres will be sending forward Remi Elie to the Rochester Americans of the AHL, according to CapFriendly. Elie played just four regular season games in the AHL last season with the Texas Stars, but he did return and play for the veteran-laden team in the playoffs as they went all the way to the Calder Cup finals before losing to the Toronto Marlies, playing 19 games, scoring two goals and nine points.
  • Already potentially clearing two roster spots, the Minnesota Wild announced they have placed Pontus Aberg on injured reserve after leaving Friday’s game against Dallas with a lower-body injury. Aberg has played five games so far for Minnesota since being acquired via trade from Anaheim. He has three assists so far.
  • The Toronto Maple Leafs announced they have loaned defenseman Martin Marincin to the Toronto Marlies of the AHL after he cleared waivers earlier today. The 26-year-old Marincin is familiar with playing with the AHL squad as he played 52 regular season games with them last year as well as playing another 20 in the playoffs, helping the franchise win the Calder Cup. His NHL experience should only help the AHL squad, full of prospect defensemen.

Dallas Stars Are Expected To Sign Free Agent Tye Felhaber

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The Dallas Stars are expected to land free-agent prospect Tye Felhaber, according to The Athletic’s Sean Shapiro (subscription required), who reports that the two sides have finalized a deal that will be announced soon.

Felhaber, considered a late bloomer, has been playing as a 20-year-old with the Ottawa 67’s in the OHL and has been lighting it up there this year as he already has potted 51 goals in 50 games and is on pace to break the 70-goal mark, which hasn’t been done since John Tavares scored 72 goals in the 2006-07 season. Shapiro writes that Felhaber has said recently that he has received interest from 20 NHL teams this season.

The 6-foot, 183-pound forward scored 31 goals with Ottawa in the OHL last season and received a four-game tryout with the Laval Rocket of the AHL, but failed to register a point. Felhaber also attended training camp with the Toronto Maple Leafs, but was cut an early casualty. One reason for his recent success is his offseason dedication to his physical part or his game, as he spent the offseason working with Philadelphia Flyers captain Claude Giroux.

Dallas is well known for signing undrafted players as two of their top prospects include Joel L’Esperance and Ben Gleason, while Gavin Bayreuther has already appeared in 19 NHL games this season. Unless Ottawa goes on a deep playoff run in the OHL, Felhaber is expected to join the Texas Stars of the AHL this spring.

Atlantic Notes: Larkin, Point, Brassard, Condon

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The Detroit Red Wings pulled off a big overtime win over the Toronto Maple Leafs Friday, but suffered an even bigger loss when star center Dylan Larkin had to leave the game in overtime while trying to chase Mitch Marner. He was doubled over and appeared to hurt his rib cage.

Fox Sports John Keating reports that coach Jeff Blashill said that Larkin will miss one to two weeks with a strained oblique muscle, although the team is hoping he will only miss one week. He has already been ruled out for tonight’s game against Ottawa. Andreas Athanasiou is expected to replace Larkin at center on that line.

Larkin has been a key player for the struggling Red Wings. He is having a career-year as he already has 22 goals, just one shy of his career-high and is close to being a point-per game player.

  • In a mailbag article, The Athletic’s Joe Smith writes that Tampa Bay Lightning soon-to-be restricted free agent Brayden Point has made it quite clear that he wants to remain in Tampa Bay for a long time and the scribe suggests that the team might be best offering a five-year deal which might be the perfect compromise between a bridge deal and an eight-year pact. Both sides have agreed to put off contract talks until the summer. With 30 points goals and 65 points already in 51 games, the 22-year-old should receive quite a bump in pay when signing his new deal.
  • Even though the Pittsburgh Penguins were able to get their new acquisitions Nick Bjugstad and Jared McCann into their game Friday by giving them a police escort from the airport to the game, the Florida Panthers didn’t do the same thing. The Panthers, who acquired Derick Brassard, Riley Sheahan, three draft picks and future cap room from Pittsburgh earlier in the day Friday, opted to go without the pair Friday and are expected to have the two in the lineup Saturday against Vegas, according to Sun Sentinel’s Wells Dusenbury “I didn’t find out [about the trade] until about 11 [am],” Boughner said. “We were planning on having a different lineup in there tonight and so we built the lineup with what we had and unfortunately [Brassard and Sheahan] couldn’t get in for the game.”
  • The Ottawa Senators continue to be without goaltender Mike Condon, who the team placed on waivers on Oct. 31 who had and still is trying to come back from a hip injury, according to Bruce Garrioch of the Ottawa Sun. The veteran goaltender cleared waivers, but has appeared in just one game for the Belleville Senators in all that time. Condon has recently started skating and working out in Ottawa, but there remains no timetable for his return. The hope is that he can make a return to the ice for Belleville March. The team acquired goaltender Anders Nilsson to be their backup goaltender on Jan. 2, who has fared well in eight appearances for Ottawa with a .922 save percentage, meaning that Condon will have a tough time getting back into the goaltending rotation, barring injury.

Snapshots: Matthews, Winnik, Gerrie

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Talks continue between star center Auston Matthews and the Toronto Maple Leafs in hopes of coming to terms on an extension in the near future. TSN’s Pierre LeBrun reports that Matthews’ agent, Judd Moldaver, is expected in Toronto this week to continue negotiations. LeBrun feels that there is still a gap between the two sides, but momentum is pushing them in the right direction. As previously noted, Matthews is not seeking a maximum eight-year term, but rather a five- or six-year extension is his preference, which LeBrun reinforces. Matthews, 21, has 45 points through 36 games this season and is tied for ninth in the NHL with Sidney Crosby in points per game. Since his debut three years ago, the 2016 No. 1 overall pick, Matthews has recorded 177 points in 180 games, among the 20 best scorers in the NHL. That combination of youth and production at center is as rare as they come and Matthews is likely seeking a contract that will meet or exceed in AAV that of new teammate John Tavares, who signed with the Maple Leafs for $11MM per year this summer. Such high-stakes negotiations usually do not come together quickly, so this is likely just another step in a long process for both sides.

  • Veteran forward Daniel Winnik was unable to secure an NHL contract this off-season, but now finds himself as a priority free agent in Switzerland. Winnik ended up signing with Geneve-Servette of the NLA back in October and has been highly productive for the Swiss squad, notching 23 points in 31 games thus far. According to the Swiss Hockey News, head coach Chris McSorely is desperate to bring Winnik back next season and the experienced journeyman is open to an extension. Winnik, who played for the Minnesota Wild last season and joined the Boston Bruins on a PTO this fall, may have slight NHL interest in the off-season, but the 33-year-old is likely better off sticking in the NLA. With Geneve-Servette, not only has Winnik scored more easily than at any point in his eleven NHL seasons, but McSorely also calls him “a real leader and a positive voice in the locker room”.
  • A strong season for the Bowling Green State University Falcons has helped them to net another elite prospect for their program. Bowling Green, ranked No. 12 in the NCAA in the latest Pairwise polls, has received a commitment from 2019 NHL Draft hopeful Keighan Gerrie, per the Superior International Junior Hockey League. Gerrie is currently tearing up the SIJHL with 62 points in 34 games, among the top five scorers in the league and is far and away it’s best U-18 player. Gerrie is currently slated to play in the NAHL next year, but if he continues at nearly a two points-per-game pace this season, he will likely wind up in the USHL instead before joining Bowling Green. As for the NHL, Central Scouting ranked Gerrie at No. 140 among U.S. skaters in their latest rankings, but as his stock continues to rise, he could push to be a fourth- or fifth-round selection, which could make him the Falcons’ top prospect when he finally arrives. Junior goaltender Ryan Bednard, a 2015 seventh-rounder of the Florida Panthers, has been excellent this season but will be gone by the time Gerrie arrives. Sophomore forward and leading scorer Brandon Kruse, a fifth-round pick by the Vegas Golden Knights this past year, could still be on campus to form a dynamic duo with Gerrie in two years, but may have already turned pro by that time. Gerrie could be Bowling Green’s best hope of remaining among the top programs in college hockey moving forward.

Maple Leafs Place Martin Marincin On Waivers

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The Maple Leafs have placed defenseman Martin Marincin on waivers, reports Sportsnet’s Elliotte Friedman (Twitter link).  A move like this was expected after the acquisition of Jake Muzzin as Toronto was carrying nine defenders on their roster for Friday’s game in Detroit.

Marincin has seen very limited action this season.  Despite being healthy throughout the year, he has played in just ten games with Toronto and has been a scratch the rest of the way.  In those ten contests,  the 26-year-old has a pair of assists while logging 15:07 per night, a career low.  He has a total of 187 career NHL contests under his belt across parts of six seasons but while his 6’5 frame would have been enticing to quite a few teams in the past, the shift towards more mobility on the back end has hurt his stock.

Considering Marincin passed through waivers unclaimed last year and has played only sparingly this season, there’s a good chance he will make it through unclaimed.  If that happens, his entire $800K cap hit will come off of Toronto’s books upon being assigned to the minors.

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