- Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Martin Marincin may be fighting for his job in training camp, reports the Athletic’s Jonas Siegal. Siegal writes that the former 2nd round pick in the 2010 NHL Draft may not have many more chances to stick in the league, despite showing flashes of natural talent. Marincin was once the Maple Leaf’s top-pairing defenceman alongside Morgan Rielly, but has struggled of late and sat out 38 games last season. The Slovak defender will have to turn things around quickly if he wants to maintain a roster spot amid the youth movement pushing from below.
- The Buffalo Sabres may not have a captain on opening night, reports the Times Herald’s Bill Hoppe. Hoppe reports that new coach Phil Housley is not rushing to name a captain. Some teams, like last year’s Toronto Maple Leafs, opt to play an entire year without a captain. Housley may go that route, but he may also see how training camp plays out and whether a natural leader emerges. Becoming an NHL captain requires additional responsibilities and poise that not all players have—or want. The Sabres’ previous captain, forward Brian Gionta, did not re-sign with the Sabres this season. Hoppe thinks that forward Ryan O’Reilly is a good candidate to fill the void. The Sabres could also be waiting to see if top prospect Jack Eichel steps up into the role.
- Former MLSE president and CEO Richard Peddie chimed in on the ongoing Calgary Flames arena saga yesterday. Peddie—who once ran the Toronto Maple Leafs, Toronto Raptors, Toronto FC, and the AHL Toronto Marlies—tweeted that Toronto’s arena was 100% privately financed. Not only did Peddie state that the arena fully privately-funded, but MLSE paid full property taxes and infrastructure costs. The Flames are looking for a substantial public investment in any new arena, and have implicitly threatened longterm consequences if they cannot reach some sort of agreement.
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Maple Leafs Rumors
Evening Snapshots: Hischier, Hitchcock, Leafs’ Captaincy
The New Jersey Devils’ top pick in the 2017 Entry Draft told NHL.com’s Mike Morreale that it would be a “disappointment” if he didn’t make the Devils’ roster following training camp. General manager Ray Shero called him a “special talent,” and that if there’s a spot, it’s his to win. Teammate Taylor Hall reminisced about his first season with the Oilers, when the 2010 #1 overall pick learned a lot from then captain Shawn Horcoff. He added how important it was for younger players to have a veteran presence to “bounce things off of,” when beginning a career after being a first overall pick. Hischier is certainly saying all the right things–it’s just a matter of time if the youngster get a shot as a regular.
- It’s the return of Ken Hitchcock in Dallas, and it’ll be the “new adventures of old Ken Hitchcock,” writes the Dallas Morning-News’ Mike Heika. The veteran coach and Dallas’ all-time winningest coach has promised a camp that “no one has ever seen before.” Heika adds that Hitchcock has to rein in an offensively “supercharged” team that failed to defend in its own zone. Unlike his 90’s teams or even more recently in St. Louis, “Hitch” plans to attack in the offensive zone while being responsible with the puck in their own zone. Center Tyler Seguin believes the team has more than enough offense to score goals and that it’s just a matter of being better defensively. Should the Stars stay healthy, they could certainly be a favorite in the West.
- The Toronto Maple Leafs will once again go without a captain, and opt for three alternates reports the Toronto Star’s Kevin McGran. General manager Lou Lamoriello sees no reason to name a captain, citing a number of leaders in the room with no rush to name one player as the captain. McGran speculates that the C will eventually be sewn onto Auston Matthews’ jersey, but believes that keeping any additional pressure off of the second year forward may be the team’s motive for not bestowing that honor yet.
Horton, Lupul Fail Medicals, Will Remain On LTIR
The Toronto Maple Leafs have two players under contract for next season who haven’t played in more than a year, and are destined for long-term injured reserve once again. Before doing that, the team needed to bring Nathan Horton and Joffrey Lupul in for medicals, which they subsequently failed. The Maple Leafs will use the cap space opened by the pair this season, as they already project to be over by $4.78MM by CapFriendly.
Though usually it is believed that teams need to get under the salary cap by the start of the season, this is not necessarily the case for the Maple Leafs. Toronto will use a type of “offseason LTIR” to work their way under the cap, since both Horton and Lupul’s injuries were known long in advance. LTIR is calculated in two ways, depending on when it is used.
In season, the formula to find out how much extra cap space is created is as follows:
Bonus cap space = Cap hit of LTIR player – Current cap space
This usually results in teams using paper transactions to call players up and push them as close to the cap as possible, before placing a player on LTIR. That gives them the maximum amount of extra room to work with. During training camp though, it’s a little different.
Bonus cap space = Current team cap hit – Season salary cap
That means, a team like the Maple Leafs can place Lupul and Horton on LTIR during training camp in order to give themselves a huge amount that they’re allowed to exceed the cap by. The combined salaries of the injured pair is $10.55MM, meaning the Maple Leafs can manipulate the salary cap several ways. By pushing the team’s salary as close to $80.25MM as possible before putting one of the players on LTIR, they’ll get back under the limit for the start of the season. That’s what has allowed them to sign players like Patrick Marleau and Ron Hainsey this summer with little risk, even though they already were right up against the cap.
Roman Polak Signs PTO With Toronto Maple Leafs
Though it’s far from an NHL contract, the Toronto Maple Leafs released their training camp roster with a familiar name today; Roman Polak. The injured defenseman has signed a professional tryout, and will continue his rehab from a terrible leg injury suffered this spring.
Polak’s agent Allan Walsh of Octagon Hockey posted some more video of the 31-year old training, again wearing Maple Leafs gear as he was a few weeks ago. With the Maple Leafs still having a need for a right-handed depth defenseman, bringing Polak in to make sure he’s healthy makes complete sense. There is clearly trust between head coach Mike Babcock and the veteran defenseman, who deployed him as a main penalty killer and defended him in the media almost weekly.
Though he’s never been the flashiest player, Polak has been able to log minutes on the back end of a defense corps for many years. He’s suited up for 634 games split between the Blues, Maple Leafs and Sharks, and should earn a contract somewhere around the league even if Toronto decides to pass.
No Extension Talks For Maple Leafs’ Tyler Bozak
Though we recently heard that an extension for James van Riemsdyk could cost as much as $6MM, another Toronto Maple Leafs forward hasn’t even had talks with the team about his next contract. Tyler Bozak who, like van Riemsdyk is a free agent next summer, told Luke Fox of Sportsnet that he hadn’t had any talks with the Maple Leafs yet, and is just focused on the upcoming season. Bozak will earn $4.2MM this season on the final year of his five-year deal.
Bozak, 31, is part of the old guard of Maple Leafs’ 2013 postseason run left over from the last regime but had an exceptional season last year as much of the pressure was taken off him to be their top center. With Nazem Kadri stepping into a larger role and Auston Matthews assuming the #1 duties, Bozak was allowed to skate freely alongside James van Riemsdyk and Mitch Marner without tough defensive responsibilities. That resulted in a 55-point season, one that will surely pay off on the open market next summer.
For the time being, Bozak continues to be the target in much trade speculation as he is one of the only true offensive centers that could be available. The Maple Leafs are clearly looking to contend this season and aren’t eager to move some of their key forward pieces, but are also blessed with quite a bit of young depth on the wings and the possibility that William Nylander could be moved back to center. The New York Rangers, Pittsburgh Penguins, Anaheim Ducks and others look like potential fits for Bozak if the Maple Leafs decided to move on. Never a great defensive player, his offensive instincts and faceoff ability are still good enough to be an above-average third line center for the majority of the league.
The Maple Leafs of course have more to worry about than just contending this season. Next summer will see Nylander hit restricted free agency for the first time, while Matthews and Marner will join him a year later. Jake Gardiner will need a contract extension at some point—his deal expires after 2018-19—and so will van Riemsdyk and Leo Komarov, if the team chooses to keep them around. All that needs quite the financial plan for the next few years, and it’s not clear where Bozak fits into that. If a deal isn’t struck by the new year, expect his name to be near the top of all the trade bait boards.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images
2017-18 Primer: Toronto Maple Leafs
With the NHL season now just a month away, it’s time to look at what each team has done this summer and what to watch for in the year to come. Today, we focus on the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Last Season: 40-27-15 record (95 points), third in Atlantic Division (lost in the first round to Washington)
Remaining Cap Space: $-4.58MM per CapFriendly (They will get back into compliance via LTIR once the season starts.)
Key Newcomers: D Ron Hainsey (free agency, Pittsburgh), F Patrick Marleau (free agency, San Jose), F Dominic Moore (free agency, Boston)
Key Departures: F Brian Boyle (free agency, New Jersey), D Matt Hunwick (free agency, Pittsburgh), D Alexey Marchenko (mutual contract termination), D Roman Polak (free agency, unsigned)
[Related: Maple Leafs Depth Chart From Roster Resource]
Player To Watch: F Patrick Marleau – While Toronto’s ‘big three’ of Auston Matthews, Mitch Marner, and William Nylander are certainly worth watching to see how they continue to progress, Marleau’s case is going to be a really interesting one to keep an eye on.
For starters, the fact that he left San Jose to sign a three-year deal with Toronto after spending 19 seasons with the Sharks makes his situation particularly interesting. But it will also be worth watching to see what type of role he has with the Leafs.
Their depth on the left-hand side gives head coach Mike Babcock plenty of options. He could choose to deploy him on the top line with Matthews and give that trio another proven scorer to work with. Alternatively, Marleau could plausibly find himself on the second or even the third line as they’re going to have the capability to have three quality scoring units to work with.
Marleau’s offensive production has dropped in the last two years with his point-per-game average being his lowest since 2001-02. Is that a sign that he’s on the decline (he turns 38 this coming week) or will a new environment filled with a lot of younger, offensively-minded players lead to a resurgence?
Key Storyline: There’s no denying that the Maple Leafs will be able to score. They were fifth overall in that department last season and should be around that mark once again. However, they were in the bottom third of the league in goals allowed in 2016-17 and they haven’t done much to improve in that area.
Hainsey was brought in to replace Hunwick and he is expected to start on the top pairing alongside Morgan Rielly. At this stage of Hainsey’s career, he’s not an ideal fit to play heavy minutes although he will bring a bit more stability in his own end. Toronto will be counting on further development from their returning blueliners from last season to help out as well but that may not be enough.
As a result, many expect GM Lou Lamoriello will have to make a move to shore up their back end. If the thought is to wait until around the trade deadline, it would make sense for them to deal for short-term help in the form of a rental but if the defense is an issue early on, they may have to dip into their forward depth to bring in another top-four option.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
Toronto Undecided On Where To Start Timothy Liljegren
Although the Maple Leafs have yet to decide where 2017 first rounder Timothy Liljegren will play this coming season, a return to Rogle BK in Sweden appears unlikely, reports Sportsnet’s Chris Johnston. As he was a first rounder and has already signed his entry-level deal, Toronto gets to decide where to assign him even though Liljegren has another year on his contract in Sweden after signing a two-year extension back in March of 2016.
There are several options for the Maple Leafs to mull over assuming the blueliner doesn’t crack the NHL roster right away (which he’s not likely to do). Since he wasn’t drafted out of the CHL, he is eligible to play for the AHL’s Marlies even though he’s just 18. Liljegren’s rights have also been acquired in the CHL (Niagara) and the USHL (Dubuque). Or, they could loan him back to Sweden where he’d likely spend time in the SHL and their J20 program. However, the most likely outcome at this point would be to start in the AHL where the team could have full control over his ice time and can ease him in at their own pace. If that were to happen, his contract would still slide unless he gets into ten or more games with the big club.
Minor Moves: Erixon, Strachan, Robidas
The New Jersey Devils have signed Tim Erixon to a professional tryout, bringing in the former NHL defenseman after two years spent entirely in the AHL with the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Erixon is a former first-round pick of the Calgary Flames who has bounced around the NHL during his short career. Suiting up for 93 games split between the New York Rangers, Columbus Blue Jackets, Toronto Maple Leafs and Chicago Blackhawks, Erixon will try to prove that he deserves a permanent home. He’ll join Jimmy Hayes in Devils camp on a PTO.
More news from around the league…
- The Arizona Coyotes have added journeyman Tyson Strachan on a PTO of their own, bringing him in after a year with the Rochester Americans. The 32-year old Strachan has 186 NHL contests under his belt, but has never had much of an impact in the league.
- Toronto has officially hired Stephane Robidas as their Assistant Director of Player Development, where he’ll continue many of the duties he took on last year as an unofficial development coach. Robidas was technically still under a player contract last year, but effectively retired due to injury after the 2014-15 season. In 937 career NHL games, he recorded 258 points, but was a bust for the Maple Leafs, who signed him for three years but only saw him suit up in 52 games.
- Gabe Vilardi, the Los Angeles Kings’ first-round pick this year, will miss training camp with the team due to a back injury that flared up this offseason. Vilardi had an outside chance at cracking the Kings’ roster right away if he exceeded expectations at camp, but this likely confirms he’ll head back to the Windsor Spitfires for next year. Should he get through the year healthy he’s a near-lock for Canada’s World Junior team and could challenge for the OHL’s goal scoring title.
William Nylander Not Focused On Contract Extension
William Nylander spoke to the media after an optional skate in Toronto today, and one of the first questions asked was about a potential contract extension. Nylander is heading into the final year of his entry-level contract, and proved last season that he’s ready to step into a starring role on the young Maple Leafs squad. The 21-year old was non-committal when talking about whether he’d thought about his next contract yet.
I’m just focused on the season right now. Nothing big, just want to be ready and be prepared for when the season starts.
I don’t know, [my agents and the Maple Leafs] have talked a little bit, but we’ll see what happens. I just want to focus on the season right now.
Nylander exploded onto the scene in 2015-16 with 13 points in 22 games, before outdoing himself as a (technical) rookie with 61 points last season. That 0.72 points-per-game rate puts him right up among some of the best players in the NHL already, and there is still plenty of room to grow. We featured him in our look at who could earn in-season contract extensions this year, and it’s good news that the two sides have at least begun to talk about a potential deal.
This year, if Nylander plays with Auston Matthews once again there could be room for even more offensive production and with it an even higher price tag. Looking forward for the Maple Leafs, the team will need to figure out how to fit their trio of top forwards—Nylander, Matthews and Mitch Marner—into a cap structure that allows them to still compete. Just recently we learned that pending free agent forward James van Riemsdyk is looking for something around $6MM per season, something that the Maple Leafs might just not be able to afford.
James Van Riemsdyk Seeking Around $6MM On Next Contract
Toronto winger James van Riemsdyk is one of several prominent players whose contracts are set to expire at the end of the upcoming season. He currently finds himself on one of the team-friendlier deals around with a cap hit of $4.25MM. According to Kevin McGran of the Toronto Star, the 28-year-old is looking for a big raise on his next contract with the current asking price checking in at around $6MM.
Although he has never led the Maple Leafs in scoring in any of the five seasons he has been there, he quietly has been one of the more productive scorers in the NHL during that span. Since the 2012-13 season, he ranks eighth league-wide in goals by a left winger with 118. He’s also coming off of a career year with 29 goals and 33 assists. That level of production and consistency is certain to be rewarded on the open market next summer.
McGran notes that given Toronto’s depth up front and the lesser amount they have on the back end, a player like van Riemsdyk may be their best trade chip to use which would lower the likelihood of a possible extension.
Although Toronto has only $47MM committed for 2018-19 (and $5.3MM of that is for Nathan Horton who will be on LTIR that season as well), they have a lot of notable contracts on the horizon which could impact things. Tyler Bozak and Leo Komarov are also eligible for unrestricted free agency and will be seeking raises while William Nylander is a restricted free agent. They will also likely be facing a significant bonus overage penalty from the upcoming season and extension talks can open up for Auston Matthews and Mitch Marner next summer.
For what it’s worth, van Riemsdyk isn’t too worried about entering the final year of his deal:
“That’s stuff you can’t worry about as a player. It’s out of your control. I just want to go out there, play, and be a productive member of the team, and hopefully the rest of it figures itself out.”
Based on his consistent production, van Riemsdyk should be able to sign a deal that’s at least close to that asking price. The question becomes, will it be with Toronto or another team?