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Frederik Gauthier Signs Two-Year Contract With Toronto Maple Leafs

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have re-signed one of their restricted free agents, inking Frederik Gauthier to a two-year, two-way contract that carries an average annual value of $675K. Gauthier wasn’t eligible for arbitration, but some were surprised he even received a qualifying offer from the Maple Leafs who are already closing in on the 50-contract limit.

Gauthier, 23, was selected in the first round by the Maple Leafs five years ago, but hasn’t turned into the powerful two-way center many believed he could be. Instead he’s struggled to even produce offense at the minor league level, scoring just 49 points in 159 career AHL contests. He played just nine games for the Maple Leafs last season, and may not even get that much of a chance now that the team has even more depth down the middle. John Tavares will command more minutes than Tyler Bozak ever did, while Josh Jooris and Par Lindholm are both contenders to take over on the fourth line. It would likely take some injuries for Gauthier to see the NHL, meaning he’ll set his sights on another Calder Cup with the Toronto Marlies instead.

On the Marlies, Gauthier has a clear role. Not asked to do much offensively, he is still a big part of their team and lines up against the opponent’s best on a nightly basis. He’ll re-join veterans like Colin Greening and Chris Mueller along with newcomer Adam Cracknell as the core of what could be another revolving door season for the AHL club. Maple Leafs’ GM Kyle Dubas has developed a minor league development system with more players than roster spots, and Gauthier will be asked to help along those other young players as they try to reach their full potential.

Gauthier will be a restricted free agent still when the contract is finished, unless of course he fails to play in 43 NHL games over the next two seasons. That would make him eligible for Group VI unrestricted free agency, something that looks like a distinct possibility without real positive development in his offensive repertoire.

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Tyler Ennis

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Tyler Ennis was recently bought out by the Minnesota Wild, but has now found another home. The Toronto Maple Leafs announced a one-year $650K contract for the diminutive veteran, bringing him in to add some depth to the bottom-half of their lineup.

Ennis, 28, was once an extremely effective player for the Buffalo Sabres, scoring at least 20 goals on three different occasions. The 5’9″ forward doesn’t have a fearful bone in his body, and played bigger than he was by digging hard in the corners and driving hard towards the net. Unfortunately, those kind of plays caught up with his small frame and he has struggled through concussion and groin injuries the last few seasons, while being included as a salary dump by one team and bought out a year later by another. He’ll earn more than $2.4MM over the next two seasons from Minnesota thanks to that buyout, making this new deal seem extremely reasonable for the Maple Leafs.

It is reasonable for Toronto, given that they are rarely worried about actual salary commitments and instead are always dealing with the cap ceiling. For a team that still has plenty of room this summer to make another big splash—even after handing $11MM to John Tavares—Ennis represents a cheap addition that could provide big results. Even last season playing limited minutes in Minnesota Ennis scored 22 points and was a fairly useful player, but the Wild couldn’t afford to keep his $4.6MM cap hit on the books as they look to figure out a way to push past the first round.

For the Maple Leafs, he’ll join players like Josh Jooris, Par Lindholm, Josh Leivo and even maybe Connor Brown in a fourth-line group that could be rotated around for much of the season. Ennis could even provide an option on the powerplay, though Toronto has plenty of talented options to use in that situation. The fact that he’s not a penalty killer will likely hurt his ice time considerably, given that the fourth line won’t be playing a ton for the Maple Leafs this season.

Morning Notes: Boll, Olczyk, Cohen

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It’s the end of a career for Jared Boll, who Aaron Portzline of The Athletic reports has hung up his skates for the last time. Boll retires after a career as one of the league’s most prolific fighters, dropping the mitts 171 times in the NHL over a 579 game career. Boll put up 226 penalty minutes as a rookie in 2007-08, after being selected in the fourth round of the 2005 draft by the Columbus Blue Jackets.

Ending his career with the Anaheim Ducks, Boll will retire with 66 NHL points, 1,298 penalty minutes and more than a few bruises. As the league moves further and further away from fighting, and reduces the number of true enforcers playing in the NHL, there just wasn’t a place for the 32-year old any longer. It’s safe to say the fans in Columbus will look back fondly on his tenure, even if the game has moved on.

  • Rick Olczyk has moved on from the Carolina Hurricanes according to Aaron Ward, who reports the long-time executive will be joining the Toronto Maple Leafs in some capacity. Olczyk has been the Hurricanes’ assistant GM for several years, but with the firing of Ron Francis and takeover by Don Waddell, there may have been a mutual parting. It’s not clear what role the former Edmonton Oilers executive would take on in Toronto, as the team already has two assistant general managers in Brandon Pridham and Laurence Gilman. There had been plenty of rumors around a potential fit for Francis in Toronto due to his Sault Ste. Marie connections with GM Kyle Dubas, and perhaps he recommended Olczyk for certain responsibilities.
  • The Arizona Coyotes have promoted Ahron Cohen to President and CEO according to Craig Morgan of AZ Sports, replacing Steve Patterson who had been named CEO just last year. Cohen at that time was named COO after serving as general counsel, but will now take over the business operations of the team. Cohen was clear that he’ll do everything he can to turn around the Coyotes franchise and bring sustained success to the city when he told Morgan “I’m married to this job. This is my passion. I love this team and I love the opportunity we have to build something special in Arizona.”

Toronto Maple Leafs Sign Justin Holl

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It’s not as quite as impressive as one of their other recent signings, but the Toronto Maple Leafs have retained an interesting young player. Justin Holl has signed a two-year contract with the team that carries a cap hit of $675K. Holl was an important player for the Toronto Marlies on their way to a Calder Cup this season, and even made his NHL debut in 2017-18.

Holl, 26, may not look like much of an NHL prospect after failing to earn an NHL contract after college and spending the first several seasons of his professional career in the minor leagues, but with new Maple Leafs GM Kyle Dubas he very well could be. Holl has been a pet project of Dubas since he joined the organization in 2015, and lists him as one of Toronto’s great successes of their new player development program. Holl seemed to reward his then-AGM’s faith when he received an emergency call-up, scoring two goals on his first two NHL shots. The big defenseman is anything but lumbering, and loves to carry the puck and jump into the rush—sometimes to the detriment of his team’s defensive structure.

The Maple Leafs are notoriously thin on the right side of their defense, with Nikita Zaitsev and Connor Carrick representing the only two true right-handed options with much NHL experience in the organization—Ron Hainsey, who also played the right side last season is left-handed. Holl could very well represent the next available option along with newcomer Igor Ozhiganov. Prospects Timothy Liljegren and Jordan Subban aren’t ready for the NHL at this point, meaning there very well could be another chance for Holl to make an impact at some point this season.

Matt Martin Traded To New York Islanders

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The New York Islanders have acquired Matt Martin from the Toronto Maple Leafs in exchange for goaltending prospect Eamon McAdam. No salary was retained in the transaction, meaning the Islanders will have to carry the full $2.5MM cap hit for the next two seasons. Interestingly though, Martin was paid a $1.5MM signing bonus on July 1st for what was already a front-loaded contract, meaning New York will actually only pay $2.5MM in actual cash for Martin’s work through 2019-20.

Martin, 29, was pushed out of the Maple Leafs lineup this season due to the emergence of Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, playing in only 50 games and watching through the entire first round of the playoffs. Though he was extremely well-liked in the dressing room, there was simply no spot for Martin on Toronto’s roster going forward, and the team desperately needed cap relief for next season when Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner and William Nylander will all be on their next contracts. $2.5MM in cap space isn’t insignificant, especially when the team didn’t have to give up a single asset to rid themselves of it.

In fact they acquired McAdam, who was originally picked in the third round by the Islanders but hasn’t been able to secure a job even at the AHL level. Coming to Toronto he may have a similar problem, as the team already has Garret Sparks, Calvin Pickard and Kasimir Kaskisuo under contract. One of the first two may be moved up to the NHL should the team believe they can help more than current backup Curtis McElhinney, but there isn’t a lot of room on the Toronto Marlies either way. Beyond this year, the team also owns the rights to NCAA goaltender Joseph Woll, who is headed back to Boston College but could be ready for professional action in 2019-20. It’s not clear where McAdam lands in that group, though he could be loaned to another AHL team like Kaskisuo was last season.

With this deal the Islanders will be able to reunite a line of Martin, Casey Cizikas and Cal Clutterbuck that was once considered the “best fourth line in the NHL” though that is certainly not guaranteed. Over the last few days the team has also signed bottom-six forwards Leo Komarov and Tom Kuhnhackl, while they still have Ross Johnston and others that could compete for spots. If that trio is put back together, it will be interesting to see if they can be as effective as they once were at pinning defenders in with physicality.

Martin struggled to find ice time in Toronto this season so the move makes sense, and opens up another roster spot for a young player or free agent acquisition. The Maple Leafs currently have some openings on their fourth line, though new faces like Josh Jooris or Par Lindholm could fill those roles. Either way, it does seem like fresh-faced GM Kyle Dubas has a clear plan for the Maple Leafs going forward—one that no longer included Martin.

Hudson Elynuik Signs AHL Contract With Toronto Marlies

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Just over a month ago teams around the NHL lost the exclusive negotiating rights to nearly three dozen draft picks. Some of those players like Adam Mascherin, re-entered the draft and were selected by another team. Others were free to sign professional contracts with whoever they chose. One of the most interesting names on that list was Carolina Hurricanes draft pick Hudson Elynuik, who has now signed an AHL contract with the Toronto Marlies to begin his professional career. The Marlies also signed Emerson Clark, Ryan Moore, Zach O’Brien, Sam Jardine, Stefan LeBlanc and Giorgio Estephan—a draft pick of the Buffalo Sabres that saw his rights expire last year.

Elynuik though is the most exciting name of the bunch. The 6’5″ center was selected 74th overall in 2016, and put up consecutive seasons in the WHL averaging more than a point per game. This year saw him record 86 points in 71 games for the Spokane Chiefs, adding another seven points in seven playoff matches. Son of Pat Elynuik, a former NHL player and eighth-overall pick in 1986, Hudson carries an extremely heavy shot and doesn’t lumber along on his skates as poorly as some other players of his size.

It seems as though Kyle Dubas has added a prospect to the pipeline for free, but it’s important to note that signing an AHL deal with the Marlies does not technically add him to the Toronto Maple Leafs. Since he has still not signed an entry-level contract, his rights are still not owned by the Maple Leafs and he could easily sign with another team when his AHL deal expires. That said, it does give Toronto the inside edge on bringing him in if he can show that there is still real NHL potential in that large frame.

Matt Martin “In Demand” As Maple Leafs Try To Trade Him

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The Toronto Maple Leafs added a whopping seven-year, $77MM contract to the books when they landed top free agent John Tavares yesterday, and will have to be careful how they spend their cap space going forward. One of the players who is taking up a good chunk without giving much back to the team is Matt Martin, who became a healthy scratch part way through the 2017-18 season and doesn’t look to have a role on the team going forward. Yesterday, in a piece talking about how the Maple Leafs can fit Tavares in with their other young stars, James Mirtle of The Athletic (subscription required) wrote that the team was trying to move Martin’s contract and he’d heard the New York Rangers in connection with it.

Today Larry Brooks of the New York Post tweets that Martin is actually “in demand” on the trade market, after the Maple Leafs paid out a $1.5MM signing bonus. That drops Martin’s salary this season to just $750K, while next season would cost $1.75MM for any acquiring team. The cap hit involved with Martin is $2.5MM, an obvious contract to shed if the Maple Leafs are trying to save cap space.

Martin, 29, has been a fixture on the fourth line with the New York Islanders and Maple Leafs for years, leading the league in hits several times. While he’s never recorded 20 points in a single campaign, he was well-regarded as an on and off-ice leader and valuable asset to have on the bench. Unfortunately as the Maple Leafs gave more and more ice time to young wingers like Kasperi Kapanen and Andreas Johnsson, Martin’s role on the team was almost completely eradicated. If Toronto is really looking to move him at this point, it could signify that they have even more plans for their forward group in free agency, since he’s one of only 10 NHL forward currently under contract.

Toronto Re-Signs Marincin, Adds Cracknell And Subban

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Nothing that the Toronto Maple Leafs do today will likely ever be remembered outside of signing John Tavares, but the team continues to make tweaks to the rest of its roster with small additions. After it was previously revealed that the Leafs had signed Josh Jooris, the team also added that they re-signed defenseman Martin Marincin and signed veteran forward Adam Cracknell and young defenseman Jordan Subban. All three contracts are for one year. Marincin signed a one-way, $800K deal; Cracknell a one-way, $650K deal; and Subban a two-way deal worth $650K at the NHL level.

More to come…

John Tavares Signs With Toronto Maple Leafs

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After a long, and incredibly difficult negotiation with the New York Islanders, John Tavares has decided to leave the only NHL franchise he’s ever known. The 27-year old superstar has signed a seven-year, $77MM contract with the Toronto Maple Leafs, his childhood and offseason home. Tavares confirmed his decision on Twitter:

I’ve been so fortunate to be an Islander not only because of the love and support of the fan base, but because of how lucky I was to be around so many great people. From ownership through management, staff and of course all my teammates, they helped me mature and grow into who I am today. I will always be thankful for how they molded and guided me to be a better person and hockey player. Memories and friendships that I will forever hold close to my heart.

Thank you everyone for your impact on me, I will always be grateful. My words will never be able to fully show the impact my time on the Island had on me.

These past six days have been nothing I could have ever expected. Making the toughest decision of my life: to stay where I have been my entire career or take a calculated leap of faith into an opportunity that I believe will be special to me and my family. The Island has been home, It’s what I know, it’s part of me–it always will be. I can’t thank you all enough for the dedication you have all shown. I’m sorry if this decision pains you, as you can tell it wasn’t easy, but have trust in the future because it is bright. The Islanders are in great hands. I am thankful that I had the opportunity to be an Islander for as long as I did. The Island, the fans, the organization, my teammates will always be special to me and my family but it’s time to live my childhood dream here in Toronto.

The Maple Leafs were one of six teams, including the Islanders, that were granted an in-person meeting with Tavares last week. The team was rumored to be presenting some “creative” contract options, and now Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports on what that may have referred to. The contract is nearly entirely made up of signing bonuses, meaning the deal is lockout-proof, and will give him the maximum amount available the first two seasons. It also includes full a no-movement/no-trade clause. The breakdown is as follows:

  • 2018-19: $650K salary + $15.25MM signing bonus
  • 2019-20: $650K salary + $15.25MM signing bonus
  • 2020-21: $910K salary + $11.09MM signing bonus
  • 2021-22: $910K salary + $8.44MM signing bonus
  • 2022-23: $910K salary + $7.04MM signing bonus
  • 2023-24: $910K salary + $7.04MM signing bonus
  • 2024-25: $910K salary + $7.04MM signing bonus

Tavares was the belle of the ball in this year’s free agency, and is arguably the best player to ever reach the open market in the salary cap era. At 27 he is still well within what is considered a player’s prime, and has been a Hart Trophy finalist twice already. In his most recent season, Tavares recorded 37 goals and 84 points while still being a reliable defensive center and good faceoff option. His biggest flaw coming into the league, skating, has been addressed throughout the years to the point where it no longer is an issue, and will now be put on the ice with some of the best linemates of his career. The early suspicion is that Tavares will play with fellow Greater Toronto Area-born forward and former London Knight Mitch Marner, while Auston Matthews will remain alongside William Nylander. That gives Toronto two of the best pairs in the Atlantic Division, and a real threat to compete for the division title.

It’s that division that is the focus today, as the Boston Bruins miss out on Tavares and the Buffalo Sabres continue to be rumored in trade talks for Ryan O’Reilly. Toronto now has a good claim to the best 1-2-3 punch down the middle in the Atlantic, with Nazem Kadri—coming off consecutive 32-goal seasons—penciled into the third line. It’s going to make the Maple Leafs increasingly difficult to match up against, as they spread their skill across all four lines.

How they’ll be able to retain all that skill is a different question altogether. With Tavares now taking up a huge chunk of the salary cap as one of the highest-paid players in the league, the Maple Leafs will have some tough decisions on their hands going forward. William Nylander is a restricted free agent this summer and needs a new contract that could push above $6MM per season depending on the term, while Matthews and Marner are both a year away from being in a similar situation. The team also has Jake Gardiner entering the last season of his current deal, while the rest of the defense still needs an upgrade.

It’s on defense that many were expecting the Maple Leafs to make their next move, but instead they’ll try to load up at the center ice position. Tavares, Matthews and Kadri could easily be taking up more than $25MM in cap space a year from now, almost a third of the available salary for the whole team. They’re not complaining today, but it certainly isn’t an easy situation going forward.

Still, for young GM Kyle Dubas this is a win. Less than two months into his career as the Maple Leafs boss he went head-to-head with his former mentor in Lou Lamoriello and ended up securing one of the best players in the league. The team will have to decide how to pay everyone going forward and could end up losing a young player due to cap contraints, but that’s a chance that Dubas had to take to bring in a player who very well could be the next Toronto captain. Tavares tweeted out pictures of himself covered in Maple Leafs attire as a youth, while the team sent out a picture of a 14-year old Tavares in Marlies garb at the introductory press conference for the AHL team. The team is currently without a captain, and though there was much speculation that Matthews would eventually wear the “C” nothing is certain now.

What is clear, is that the Maple Leafs have taken a big step forward towards Stanley Cup contention today. Just two years after finishing dead last in the NHL, the team is working on back-to-back playoff appearances and now features some of the very best forwards in the entire league. Though no success is guaranteed in the NHL, Dubas and the team continue to work towards ending a championship drought that has now lasted more than a half-century.

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