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Toronto Maple Leafs Acquire Calvin Pickard

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The Toronto Maple Leafs have acquired recently waived goaltender Calvin Pickard from the Vegas Golden Knights in exchange for prospect Tobias Lindberg and a 2018 sixth-round draft pick. Since he has already cleared waivers, Pickard will be assigned to the Toronto Marlies immediately. In Vegas, the team now has room to activate James Neal from the injured list for tonight’s game.

As Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports, Vegas had been trying to trade Pickard all week after claiming Malcolm Subban off waivers from the Boston Bruins, but couldn’t find a taker until he had cleared. Teams like Toronto likely weren’t willing to waive their own backups in order to keep Pickard on the roster. Their emphasis on draft capital is clear, turning one of their assets into another pick for the 2018 draft.

They also receive a prospect in Lindberg who will join his third organization. Originally selected by the Ottawa Senators in the fourth-round of the 2013 draft, Lindberg was part of the package sent to Toronto for Dion Phaneuf. He made his NHL debut for the Maple Leafs at the end of that season, but couldn’t crack the improved roster a year ago. It was a disappointing season even at the AHL level, where he registered just 16 points in 44 games. Lindberg has size and speed, and dominated the OHL in his one year of Canadian junior hockey. Still, he hasn’t made much of an impact at the professional level and is close to being considered a non-prospect. At 22 there is still room to grow, but it will take a lot of work to make an impact at the NHL level.

For the Maple Leafs, acquiring Pickard gives them something they’ve rarely had over the years: goaltending depth. While Frederik Andersen remains the unquestioned starter, Toronto cycled through backup goaltenders last year until a waiver claim of Curtis McElhinney gave them some sort of stability. McElhinney was re-signed to a two-year deal this summer, but is already 34 and could take a step backwards at any moment. With Pickard in tow, the Maple Leafs now have another name that could step into the backup role at a moment’s notice.

Calle Rosen, Dominic Moore Draw In As Maple Leafs Play Rangers

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The Toronto Maple Leafs assigned Martin Marincin to the minor leagues earlier today, recalling Calle Rosen to take his spot. It won’t be in the press box though, as Mike Babcock told reporters that Rosen would be in the lineup for the team’s home opener tomorrow night. He’ll take young Andreas Borgman’s spot on the third pairing with Connor Carrick.

Babcock also confirmed that Dominic Moore would be inserted into the lineup as the fourth line center, taking Eric Fehr’s job on Saturday night. This early rotation shows that the Maple Leafs are willing to be fluid with their lineup early on, and also demonstrates the depth they’ve built through free agency. Though the club saw very few injuries last season, they are more prepared to replace players this year as they try to contend for the Atlantic Division crown.

Martin Marincin, Calvin Pickard Placed On Waivers

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According to Elliotte Friedman of Sportsnet, Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Martin Marincin and Vegas Golden Knights goaltender Calvin Pickard have been placed on waivers today. All five players who were placed on waivers yesterday have cleared.

Marincin made the Maple Leafs final roster over several challengers but didn’t play in their first game last night against the Winnipeg Jets. Perhaps the team was waiting to make sure that rookie Andreas Borgman could hold his own in a regular season game before moving on from Marincin, though the timing is interesting. Roman Polak also continues to practice with the club, and could be a potential signing to add some more physicality to the team. Head coach Mike Babcock has been clear with his praise of Polak over the years, and has also been critical of Marincin.

The more interesting name though is Pickard, who looked locked into the backup role in Vegas until a late waiver claim of Malcolm Subban. Since the Golden Knights already have roster troubles with all of their defensemen, carrying three goaltenders never seemed like a realistic option. Still, Pickard has shown that he’s a capable NHL goaltender and was the Golden Knights’ expansion selection from Colorado. While admittedly there weren’t many other options on the rebuilding Avalanche, if he is claimed it will go down as somewhat of a questionable decision.

Pickard was drafted in the second round by the Avalanche in 2010, and has since developed into an excellent professional goaltender. With a career save percentage of .914 in the NHL even behind a struggling Colorado team, he’s at minimum a backup in the league. Subban, while having a higher draft pedigree than Pickard, is far from a sure thing at the NHL level after struggling in his two career games. Still, the team may see him as a big upgrade in potential, especially with the team not expected to compete. Pickard is a restricted free agent next summer and is arbitration eligible, while Subban still has another year after this on his two-way deal.

For the Maple Leafs, burying Marincin in the minors would save them $1.025MM in cap space which the team could use to improve elsewhere during the season. Last year they showed no issue with burying veteran NHL players, as Brooks Laich, Milan Michalek and Colin Greening all spent nearly the entire year in the AHL. Since Pickard makes just $1MM, he’ll cause no cap penalty on the Golden Knights, who are closer than you may think. The team is currently $5MM under the cap, though that will change drastically when Vadim Shipachyov ($4.5MM) is recalled. That said, they don’t have a ton to worry about as Mikhail Grabovski and David Clarkson could both be placed on long-term injured reserve if the team needed room.

William Nylander Extension Not Expected During Season

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As Nikolaj Ehlers and Jack Eichel sign their respective long-term extensions, many fans in Toronto looked at the contracts as parallels for their own young stars. While Eichel compares favorably to Auston Matthews, Ehlers is almost a direct comparison for William Nylander. The pair were selected back to back in the 2014 draft, and have similarities in both style and production.

The Jets inked Ehlers to a seven-year extension today worth $42MM, but the Toronto forward won’t be negotiating during the season according to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet. Like many other athletes, he instead wants to focus on his team’s success and his own game rather than where his future contract status lies.

In reality, it’s probably a good move for the Nylander camp. Entering the final year of his entry-level contract, Nylander is poised to spend the entire season riding shotgun with Matthews and racking up points. The two combined for 130 last season and could easily surpass those totals, especially given the innate chemistry they’ve shown once again in the preseason. If Nylander sets a new mark for points this season he could easily demand more than Ehlers’ $6MM per season. If not, he likely won’t be asking for much less.

It’s easy to bet on yourself when you’re as talented as Nylander, but the Maple Leafs likely want to know where Matthews’ salary falls before getting into any real negotiations anyway. As the Edmonton Oilers are finding out, when you have several superstars ready to get paid it is a tough job to fit them all into a salary structure and leave yourself any room. The Maple Leafs also have Mitch Marner to worry about, and eventually will have to decide if Jake Gardiner is worth a long-term extension. Waiting on Nylander may just be out of necessity.

Toronto Maple Leafs Expected To Keep Timothy Liljegren In North America

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  • The Toronto Maple Leafs have decided something different with their prized European prospect, as Dhiren Mahiban is reporting that the team will keep 2017 first-round pick Timothy Liljegren in Toronto to play with the AHL Marlies. Liljegren could have returned to Sweden, but according to his agent it is a “very good situation” to continue working with the Maple Leafs’ development team. Liljegren showed better than expected in training camp, suiting up several times with the NHL club and not looking completely out of place. Though he still has trouble making the right decision at times, his skating looks every bit as excellent as promised. The AHL will be a daunting task for him, but the Maple Leafs staff can keep a closer eye on his development.

Joffrey Lupul Fails Second Physical, Eligible For LTIR

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According to Chris Johnston of Sportsnet, the Toronto Maple Leafs will indeed be allowed to place Joffrey Lupul on long-term injured reserve, after the veteran forward failed a second physical administered by the league. Like Marian Hossa in Chicago, this ruling will provide Toronto with some cap relief, though the two situations are very different.

Joffrey LupulLupul hasn’t played with the team in several years, and caused a media uproar earlier this summer when he posted some comments seeming to call out the Maple Leafs for cheating the system. He later deleted them and apologized, explaining that it was just frustrating for him sitting on the sidelines. The Lupul saga has many reports of the team not wanting him around anyway, and that they were willing to eat his contract to keep him off the team.

Interestingly, CapFriendly just this morning released a new full explanation of the ways you can use LTIR but if you aren’t interested in the minutia of the rule just know that the Maple Leafs are at little risk of going over the cap this season thanks to Lupul and fellow injured forward Nathan Horton. They still could carry another bonus overage into next season thanks to the outstanding totals of their entry-level players, but that’s less of a concern for the time being.

Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images

No Answer From League On Joffrey Lupul Status

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  • Chris Johnston of Sportsnet asked Lou Lamoriello of the Toronto Maple Leafs if his team had been given any sort of decision from the league on the Joffrey Lupul situation, to which the GM said no. The league is set to decide whether Lupul and Chicago Blackhawks forward Marian Hossa can be placed on long-term injured reserve, a decision that should be made before long. If they are, both Toronto and Chicago could get more salary cap relief. The Blackhawks did place one player on LTIR today, moving defenseman Michal Rozsival there to free up another roster spot. Rozsival signed a contract last season in order to help the Blackhawks become expansion draft compliant, but did not pass his physical at the beginning of training camp.

Training Camp Cuts: 10/02/17

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Training camp is over for all the clubs around the NHL, and the season begins on Wednesday. By tomorrow evening, all teams must submit their cap-compliant 23-man roster, meaning there will be several cuts today. We’ll keep track of them all right here, as teams try to slip players through waivers or send them back to junior and European clubs.

Anaheim Ducks

F Giovanni Fiore – San Diego (AHL)
F Kalle Kossila – San Diego (AHL)
F Scott Sabourin – San Diego (AHL)
D Jacob Larsson – San Diego (AHL)

Boston Bruins

F Jordan Szwarz – Providence (AHL)
F Tommy Cross – Providence (AHL)
F Jakub Zboril – Providence (AHL)
F Peter Cehlarik – Providence (AHL)
F Danton Heinen – Providence (AHL)
F Jakob Forsbacka Karlsson – Providence (AHL)
F Teddy Purcell – Released from PTO
G Malcolm Subban – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Calgary Flames

D Rasmus Andersson – Stockton (AHL)
G Jon Gillies – Stockton (AHL)
F Luke Gazdic – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Garnet Hathaway – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Carolina Hurricanes

F Lucas Wallmark – Charlotte (AHL)
F Phillip Di Giuseppe – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Chicago Blachawks

F Vinnie Hinostroza – Rockford (AHL)
F Jordin Tootoo – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Tomas Jurco – Waivers for purpose of assignment
G Jean-Francois Berube – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Colorado Avalanche

F Gabriel Bourque – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Dallas Stars

F Remi Elie – Texas (AHL)
F Roope Hintz – Texas (AHL)
F Jason Dickinson – Texas (AHL)
F Curtis McKenzie – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Patrik Nemeth – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Detroit Red Wings

D Libor Sulak – Lahti (Finland)
F Matt Lorito – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F Ben Street – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Brian Lashoff – Grand Rapids (AHL)
D Dylan McIlrath – Grand Rapids (AHL)
F David Booth – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Ryan Sproul – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Los Angeles Kings

F Brooks Laich – Released from PTO

Minnesota Wild

F Luke Kunin – Iowa (AHL)
D Ryan Murphy – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Montreal Canadiens

G Charlie Lindgren – Laval (AHL)
F Andreas Martinsen – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Byron Froese – Waivers for purpose of assignment

New Jersey Devils

F Brian Gibbons – Waivers for purpose of assignment
D Brian Strait – Waivers for purpose of assignment

New York Islanders

F Devon Toews – Bridgeport (AHL)
F Stephen Gionta – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Steve Bernier – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Philadelphia Flyers

F Matt Read – Waivers for purpose of assignment

San Jose Sharks

F Brandon Bollig – Waivers for purpose of assignment
F Brandon Mashinter – Waivers for purpose of assignment
G Troy Grosenick – Waivers for purpose of assignment

St. Louis Blues

F Sammy Blais – San Antonio (AHL)
D Jake Walman – Chicago (AHL)
G Jordan Binnington – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Tampa Bay Lightning

F Cory Conacher – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Toronto Maple Leafs

F Carl Grundstrom – Frolunda (SHL)
F Miro Aaltonen – Toronto (AHL)
F Frederik Gauthier – Toronto (AHL)
F Andreas Johnsson – Toronto (AHL)
F Kasperi Kapanen – Toronto (AHL)
F Tobias Lindberg – Toronto (AHL)
F Trevor Moore – Toronto (AHL)
F Nikita Soshnikov – Toronto (AHL)
F Dmytro Timashov – Toronto (AHL)
F Mason Marchment – Toronto (AHL)
D Travis Dermott – Toronto (AHL)
D Justin Holl – Toronto (AHL)
D Andrew Nielsen – Toronto (AHL)
D Michael Paliotta – Toronto (AHL)
D Rinat Valiev – Toronto (AHL)
G Kasimir Kaskisuo – Toronto (AHL)
F Colin Greening – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Chris Mueller – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Kerby Rychel – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
F Ben Smith – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
D Vincent LoVerde – Waivers for purpose of assignment.
G Garret Sparks – Waivers for purpose of assignment.

Vancouver Canucks

D Andrey Pedan – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Vegas Golden Knights

F Teemu Pulkkinen – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Washington Capitals

F Anthony Peluso – Waivers for purpose of assignment

Winnipeg Jets

F Jack Roslovic – Manitoba (AHL)
F Brendan Lemieux – Manitoba (AHL)
F Michael Spacek – Manitoba (AHL)
F J.C. Lipon – Waivers for purpose of assignment.

Toronto Pursued Thornton And Marleau As Package Deal

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While the Maple Leafs landed one long-time San Jose Shark in winger Patrick Marleau over the summer, Pierre LeBrun of The Athletic reports that Toronto was among the teams that were pursuing center Joe Thornton and at one time were looking to bring the veteran duo in as a package deal.  Thornton’s preference was to remain in San Jose and he wound up agreeing on a one-year, $8MM deal while Marleau wound up receiving both more money and term from Toronto than what the Sharks were offering him.  Given where Toronto is with regards to the salary cap, it’s hard to imagine how the duo would have fit in money-wise but the fact that they pursued both of them together suggests GM Lou Lamoriello had something ready if both would have signed.

Snapshots: McDavid, Polak, Dotchin

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Connor McDavid has taken over the top spot on TSN’s yearly player rankings, after an incredible eight-year run by Sidney Crosby. McDavid still only edged the former #1 for the top spot, but will try to start a run of his own this year. Several other players made huge jumps, including Nikita Kucherov who jumped from 27 to 7, and Mark Scheifele who improved 35 spots to crack the top 15.

Two top-10 stalwarts in Alex Ovechkin and Jonathan Toews both plummeted down the rankings after disappointing seasons, but could easily see a resurgence should they should it was more an anomaly than a trend. Check out the entire list, then leave below what you think should have been different.

  • Roman Polak won’t play tomorrow night for the Toronto Maple Leafs, but according to head coach Mike Babcock (via James Mirtle of The Athletic) he’s making progress and should still get in before the season begins. Polak is technically on a professional tryout with the team, but it does seem like he would be signed by the team should he show that he’s completely healthy after the terrible injury last year. The Maple Leafs already have several players competing for the last few defensive spots, but none of them save for Connor Carrick are right-handed. Since the Maple Leafs are already going with three lefties in their top-4, having a right-handed option like Polak in a depth role seems prudent, even if he’s not an exciting option.
  • Jake Dotchin still hasn’t gotten into any preseason action for violating a team issue, and he told Joe Smith of the Tampa Bay Times that “it’s hurting” him. Dotchin was widely expected to start the year in an increased role with the Lightning after an impressive rookie campaign, but every day he sits out is another chance for someone else to make an impression. The young defender has been known to cross the line physically while on the ice, and though there is no report on what he did yet the team is clearly not happy with him.

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