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Leafs Notes: Matthews, Knies, Domi, Kampf

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The Toronto Maple Leafs received a string of injury updates at practice today, kicked off by captain Auston Matthews taking the ice for his first team skate since November 3rd. Matthews has missed Toronto’s last eight games with an upper-body injury. He returned to the ice on Saturday, working on individual drills after arriving back from a trip to see a specialist in Germany. But despite the return to full practice, Matthews said he’s uncertain if he’ll play on Wednesday, adding that he may need a couple more practices before he feels ready per TSN Sports. The Leafs begin a two-game road trip to Florida tomorrow that will take them through the end of the week.

It goes without saying that Matthews’ return is hotly anticipated. He has a modest 11 points in 13 games this season, but had a career year in 2023-24 – scoring 69 goals and 107 points. His goal-scoring set a Leafs record and marked the most anyone has scored in one season since Mario Lemieux in 1995-96. But the Leafs have been doing surprisingly well in his absence, posting a 7-1-0 record and outscoring their opponents 25-to-13. Their 3.125 goals-per-game average on this run is a boost over the 3.0 goals they averaged through their first 13 games. They’ve even improved their goals-per-game average, rising to 3.125 goals over this span after averaging 3.0 in their first 13 games. Matthews is a tremendous talent to add to a hot lineup – and Toronto will hope they can maintain the run through a stretch of tough matchups.

Other updates from today’s Leafs practice:

  • Matthew Knies also returned to practice donning a no-contact jersey, shares David Alter of The Hockey News. Knies is currently on injured reserve with an upper-body injury suffered in Toronto’s November 20th matchup against Vegas. Knies will be another notable addition to the top-six when he returns. He’s so far scored eight goals and 12 points in 20 games while averaging roughly 18 minutes of ice time, and served a key role on both special teams units. Knies is playing through his second full NHL season, after scoring 15 goals and 20 points as a rookie last year.
  • From great, to good, to bad – center Max Domi won’t join Toronto on their two-game road trip, as he continues to heal from a lower-body injury per Alter of The Hockey News. Domi will mis his third and fourth consecutive games with this news. He’s been on injured reserve since the 20th as well, and head coach Craig Berube didn’t provide an update on when Domi may return. Berube similarly didn’t have an update on David Kampf, shares Alter’s colleague Evan Doerfler. Kampf was placed on long-term injured reserve on November 16th and is expected to miss through mid-December.

Maple Leafs Allowing Fewest High-Danger Chances In Eastern Conference

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  • Switching from offensive to defensive standouts, the Maple Leafs are allowing the fewest high-danger chances at 5-on-5 in the Eastern Conference, as identified by Jonas Siegel of The Athletic. That’s due in large part to the addition of Chris Tanev in free agency, who’s flourished on a shutdown pairing with Jake McCabe to put together some of the best defensive work in the league.

Matthews Resumes Skating, Could Return Wednesday

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Toronto Maple Leafs captain Auston Matthews has returned from Germany where he consulted with a doctor he had worked with in the past in an attempt to relieve his lingering upper-body injury. It appears some progress was made considering he skated with the team during this morning’s practice.

Matthews’s reintroduction into the lineup would give a large boost to the Maple Leafs who’ve produced a 6-1-0 record since their captain went down with injury on November 3rd. He has scored five goals and 11 points in 13 contests for the games he’s been healthy for.

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Maple Leafs Sign Alexander Nylander, Place Matthew Knies On IR

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The Maple Leafs have officially united the Nylanders, announcing the signing of William’s brother, Alexander Nylander, to a one-year contract. The team placed left-winger Matthew Knies on injured reserve retroactive to Wednesday with an upper-body injury in a corresponding transaction to open a spot on the active roster.

Nylander signed for the prorated league-minimum $775K, per the team. It’s a one-way deal, per Chris Johnston of TSN and The Athletic, so he’ll still be making an NHL salary if he’s placed on waivers later in the year and heads back to the minors.

Now 26, Nylander was a top-10 pick in 2016, going eighth overall to the Sabres two years after the Leafs also drafted William eighth overall. He joined the Maple Leafs organization this summer on a one-year contract with their AHL affiliate, the Toronto Marlies, but remained a free agent in the NHL’s eyes.

Nylander has been off to a hot start, posting eight goals and four assists for 12 points through his first 14 games. He’s second on the team in goals and is tied with Alex Steeves for the team lead in points.

It’s part of a resurgence for Nylander, who hasn’t been a full-time NHL player since the pre-pandemic days with the Blackhawks. After missing all of the 2020-21 campaign with a left meniscus tear, Nylander was assigned to the AHL to kick off the 2021-22 campaign and had 12 points in 23 games with Rockford before Chicago, who had initially acquired him from Buffalo for Henri Jokiharju, traded him to the Penguins for depth forward Sam Lafferty.

While Nylander got into a few games with Pittsburgh over the following couple of years, he spent most of his time in the minors with Wilkes-Barre/Scranton. That changed when the Pens traded him and a sixth-round pick to the Blue Jackets for Emil Bemström in February. He finished last season back in the NHL with Columbus and did quite well, thrust into a top-nine role and scoring 11 goals and 15 points in 23 games while averaging 16:46 per game, a career-high by a wide margin.

He’ll now get another crack at NHL minutes in Toronto, although it may be brief, with the Leafs hit hard by short-term injuries. Knies is the latest regular forward to exit the lineup after being hit hard by Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud on Wednesday. He’d already been ruled out for Sunday’s game against Utah, which will likely mark Nylander’s Leafs debut, but is eligible to come off IR for their following game, a mid-week battle against the Panthers.

Calle Järnkrok, Auston Matthews and Max Pacioretty were all already dealing with injuries entering last week, while Max Domi and David Kämpf landed on IR before the Vegas game and Ryan Reaves was suspended five games for a hit against Oilers defenseman Darnell Nurse last weekend. Knies becomes the seventh forward ineligible or ruled out for this weekend’s tilt, joining the rash of injuries that has led to AHL regulars like Steeves and prospects like Nikita Grebenkin and Fraser Minten getting the call in the past week or so.

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Maple Leafs Notes: Myers, Ekman-Larsson, Knies, Domi

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The Maple Leafs announced Friday that they’ve recalled defenseman Philippe Myers from his conditioning loan to AHL Toronto.

No corresponding moves are necessary. Myers remained on the active roster and counted against the salary cap while on his conditioning stint, which could have lasted up to two weeks but ended after six days.

Toronto needs more available healthy players amid a rising tide of injuries. The 6’5″, 220-lb righty didn’t record a point in three games on the farm but managed 4 PIMs and a +2 rating.

Myers has played just once for the Maple Leafs this season after signing a one-way, $775K contract over the summer. He sat in the press box for 17 of 18 games before his brief reassignment. His only appearance came on Oct. 26 against the Bruins, when he recorded a -1 rating and one hit in 12:11 of ice time.

If the Maple Leafs want to send Myers back to the AHL on a longer-term basis, they’ll need to place him on waivers. He’s been exposed to the wire four times in his career, all in the 2021-22 and 2022-23 seasons with the Predators and Lightning, and cleared each time.

Elsewhere in Leafland:

  • Myers’ summons comes with Oliver Ekman-Larsson under the weather. He didn’t practice today due to an illness, the team said. It’s hopefully a non-factor in what’s been a strong start in Toronto for the 33-year-old, who signed a four-year, $14MM contract in free agency last summer. He has a +2 rating and is on pace for 33 points, which would be his highest offensive output since finishing 11th in Norris Trophy voting in 2018-19. He’s also averaging 21:09 per game, his highest usage in three years, and is posting his best relative possession numbers in six years. There’s a chance Myers could draw into the lineup on Sunday against Utah if OEL can’t play, with Toronto expected to dress 11 forwards and seven defensemen.
  • The Leafs will be going with the 11F/7D formation because winger Matthew Knies has been ruled out with the upper-body injury he sustained on a hit from Golden Knights defenseman Zach Whitecloud in Wednesday’s win, head coach Craig Berube told Jonas Siegel of The Athletic. It’s unclear how much time the 22-year-old, who has eight goals and 12 points in 20 games, might miss beyond this weekend’s game.
  • Toronto might have 12 healthy forwards on hand if forward Max Domi can come off injured reserve, which Berube told Mark Masters of TSN is a possibility ahead of the Utah game. Domi landed on IR earlier this week and missed the win over Vegas with a lingering lower-body injury, but since the placement was retroactive to his last appearance against the Oilers on Nov. 16, he’d be eligible to come off IR after the one-game absence. Domi, 29, has yet to score in 19 games this season after inking a four-year, $15MM extension last summer.

Matthew Knies "Feeling Okay" After Hit To The Head

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  • Maple Leafs winger Matthew Knies is still being evaluated after being pulled by concussion spotters from last night’s win over the Golden Knights but is “feeling okay today,” head coach Craig Berube told Mark Masters of TSN. Knies left the game in the second period after a hit to the head from Vegas defenseman Zach Whitecloud, which was initially called a major penalty but was rescinded entirely upon review. It’s unclear if he’ll be ready by Sunday’s game against Utah – if not, the Leafs are at risk of being down a seventh forward due to injury and would likely dress seven defensemen.

Maple Leafs Move David Kämpf To LTIR

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  • Outside of placing Max Domi on injured reserve today, the Toronto Maple Leafs have also moved forward David Kämpf to the long-term injured reserve (X Link). The team placed Kämpf on the injured reserve yesterday (retroactive to November 16th) with a lower-body injury and today’s transaction will remove his $2.4MM from the equation. Toronto is projected to possess $2.313MM in cap space at the deadline and won’t accrue any more until activating multiple players from the LTIR.

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Maple Leafs Place Max Domi On IR, Recall Nikita Grebenkin

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The Maple Leafs announced that they’ve placed center Max Domi on injured reserve with a lower-body ailment retroactive to Nov. 16. They recalled winger Nikita Grebenkin from AHL Toronto in a corresponding transaction, marking the first of his career.

Domi, 29, will miss tonight’s game against the Golden Knights but will be eligible to come off IR for the following game, a Sunday tilt against Utah. He’s been a rare sight at practice recently as he played through the lower-body injury, but it’s now advanced enough to require him to sit out.

It explains the lack of production from Domi, who’s now gone 13 games without a point despite playing top-six minutes for most of the month with captain Auston Matthews on the shelf. After signing a four-year, $15MM extension in June, the Winnipeg native has no goals on 24 shots and six assists in 19 games this season, producing at a career-low pace across the board despite averaging about 90 more seconds per game of ice time than last season.

Domi becomes the sixth regular forward who won’t be available for tonight’s game. Matthews has been on IR for nearly two weeks, Max Pacioretty was shifted to LTIR yesterday as he recovers from a hamstring injury, Calle Järnkrok remains on LTIR after undergoing groin and sports hernia surgery on Monday, David Kämpf landed on IR yesterday with a lower-body issue, and Ryan Reaves is ineligible to play while serving the first game of a five-game suspension that will keep him out through the rest of the month.

Despite the absence of their captain and a considerable amount of depth scoring, the surging Leafs are 7-2-1 in their past 10 games and are only one point back of the Panthers for first place in the Atlantic Division. While they’re understandably scoring less than last season, their record has much to do with some improved team defense – they’re allowing 6.7 high-danger scoring chances per game at 5-on-5 compared to 8.0 in 2023-24. It also has a lot to do with spectacular play in the early going from free-agent signing Anthony Stolarz between the pipes, who leads the league with a .927 SV% and is on pace for 52 starts, smashing his career-high of 24 set last year with the Panthers.

Unfortunately, the pace of the injury bug is accelerating. Domi, Kämpf, and Reaves are all out after playing in Toronto’s last game, an overtime win over the Oilers last weekend. That means Fraser Minten will make his season debut after being recalled yesterday as the corresponding transaction for Kämpf’s IR placement. At the same time, Grebenkin will make his NHL debut instead of Domi tonight.

Grebenkin, 21, was a fifth-round selection by the Leafs in the 2022 draft. The 6’2″, 209-lb Russian winger gained some attention with a strong training camp, and he’s kept up the momentum in his first season in North America, as Steven Ellis profiled for Leafs Nation earlier this month.

Through his first 13 AHL games, Grebenkin has four goals and six assists for 10 points, tied for second on the Marlies in scoring with veteran Logan Shaw. He’s also yet to take a penalty and has a +1 rating.

Grebenkin is coming off a standout season in his home country with Metallurg Magnitogorsk of the Kontinental Hockey League. He tied for second on the team in scoring with 41 points (19 G, 22 A) in 67 games after being named the KHL’s best rookie the year prior, playing a pivotal role as they won the league’s championship trophy, the Gagarin Cup.

However, it’s still unclear who will replace Domi at center tonight. It won’t be Grebenkin, who can play either left or right wing but isn’t a natural pivot. It may, however, be Mitch Marner, who head coach Craig Berube said yesterday was open to the shift to the middle from the wing if necessary (via Luke Fox of Sportsnet).

Image courtesy of USA Today Sports.

Max Pacioretty Shifted To LTIR

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  • While not a direct paper transaction, PuckPedia reports (Twitter link) that the Maple Leafs have transferred winger Max Pacioretty to LTIR, freeing up the cap space for today’s recall of Fraser Minten. Pacioretty suffered a lower-body injury on November 9th and must now miss at least 10 games and 24 days from that point.

Maple Leafs Place David Kämpf On IR, Recall Fraser Minten

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The Maple Leafs announced Tuesday that they’ve placed center David Kämpf on injured reserve with a lower-body ailment retroactive to Nov. 16. In a corresponding transaction, they recalled forward prospect Fraser Minten from AHL Toronto, keeping their active roster size at a maximum of 23.

Kämpf, 29, has played in all but one of Toronto’s 19 games this season. His absence wasn’t due to injury; instead, he was a healthy scratch against the Blue Jackets on Oct. 22.

It’s unclear if Kämpf sustained the injury in the Leafs’ last outing, an overtime win over the Oilers on Saturday, or if he’d been playing through it for multiple games. He didn’t miss a shift against Edmonton and has logged at least 14 minutes of ice time in his last four contests.

Kämpf is in the second season of the four-year, $9.6MM extension he signed days before the unrestricted free-agent market opened in 2023. Lauded far more for his competency in the faceoff dot and on the penalty kill than his even-strength impacts, the Czechia native is coming off his worst season in Toronto since arriving as a free agent in 2021. Kämpf’s 11 assists, 19 points and -4 rating in 78 games were his lowest totals as a Maple Leaf, as were his 79 shots on goal, 13:29 ATOI and 50.9 FO%.

While Kämpf has improved up to a 53.6% rate in the dot, it’s been more of the same everywhere else in 2024-25. He’s yet to score a goal and has three assists and a -2 rating, averaging 12:18 per game. He’s still influential on the penalty kill, but for a player who receives little to no offensive zone usage at even strength, $2.4MM per season is a significant salary cap commitment.

The retroactive placement means Kämpf has already been out for three of the seven days required for IR. He’ll miss Wednesday’s game against the Golden Knights but will be eligible to return for Sunday’s contest against Utah.

The news means the Maple Leafs will be down two of their regular four centers when they take on Vegas tomorrow. Captain Auston Matthews is expected to miss his seventh straight game as he remains day-to-day with an upper-body injury, David Alter of The Hockey News reported Monday.

While the Leafs have more than a few players on their roster who could shift from wing to center, including Connor Dewar, Pontus Holmberg, or William Nylander, they don’t have an extra forward available on the active roster to slide into the lineup to replace Kämpf. Unless head coach Craig Berube opts to deploy 11 forwards and seven defensemen tomorrow against the Knights, Minten will make his season debut.

Minten, 20, was the Maple Leafs’ first selection in the 2022 draft, coming off the board early in the second round at 38th overall. He was expected to challenge for a job on the opening night roster in training camp this year, but a high ankle sprain sustained in rookie camp kept him on the shelf until late October.

Since being activated from season-opening injured reserve and assigned to the AHL, the 6’2″ pivot has two goals and two assists for four points with a +4 rating in five games. Minten got a brief taste of NHL hockey early last season as a 19-year-old, posting zeroes across the board while averaging 11:26 per game before being returned to his major junior team.

In his fourth and final season of WHL hockey in 2023-24, split between the Kamloops Blazers and Saskatoon Blades, Minten had 22 goals and 26 assists for 48 points with a +18 rating in 43 games. He also captained Canada at the 2024 World Junior Championship, posting a goal and two assists in five outings.

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