- A day after being recalled from the minors, the Maple Leafs have returned winger Alex Steeves to AHL Toronto, per the AHL’s transactions log. Steeves had been on an emergency recall but with John Tavares expected to play tonight, Toronto had to send one of the two players they brought up back to the Marlies. Steeves has 17 goals and 28 assists in 54 games so far this season in the minors, good for second on Toronto in scoring.
Maple Leafs Rumors
Maple Leafs Recall Alex Steeves And Wayne Simmonds
The Maple Leafs have made a pair of roster moves today as they’ve recalled wingers Alex Steeves and Wayne Simmonds, per the AHL’s Transactions log. CapFriendly clarifies (Twitter links) that both moves have been registered as emergency recalls and thus do not count against the post-deadline four-recall limit.
Steeves is back just one day after being sent down. The 23-year-old suited up in Tuesday’s game against New Jersey, marking his third NHL appearance of the campaign where he has been off the scoresheet. Steeves also got into three games at the top level last season but has spent the bulk of the campaign with the Marlies where he has 17 goals and 28 assists in 54 games, good for second on the team in scoring.
Simmonds, meanwhile, was sent down last month following the Ryan O’Reilly trade but hasn’t seen any action in the minors this season. The 34-year-old has suited up in 13 games for the Maple Leafs this season, recording just a single assist while averaging a career-low 7:25 per night. He’s in the final season of a two-year contract in what could be the swan song of a 15-year NHL career.
Prior to the recalls, Toronto had just 11 forwards on their roster. That permitted one of the moves to be an emergency recall while the other is likely hedging their bets in case center John Tavares isn’t able to return on Saturday against Edmonton although the captain was a full participant in practice today.
Maple Leafs Sign Pavel Gogolev To AHL Deal
- It didn’t take long for winger Pavel Gogolev to find his new team. In fact, he’s going back to his old team as ECHL Newfoundland announced that the 23-year-old has signed an AHL contract with Toronto and then was loaned back to the Growlers. Gogolev has 48 points in 33 games with Newfoundland this season and was included for contract-matching purposes in the trade that saw the Maple Leafs pick up Jake McCabe and Sam Lafferty late last month. He cleared unconditional waivers earlier this week to terminate his contract.
Ryan O’Reilly Out Four Weeks After Surgery
TSN is reporting that newly acquired Toronto Maple Leafs forward Ryan O’Reilly underwent successful surgery today to help stabilize his broken finger. Head coach Sheldon Keefe has said the timeline for recovery is four weeks.
O’Reilly was placed on long-term injured reserve on Monday, meaning the earliest he can return to the Maple Leafs lineup is the 29th of March.
O’Reilly was injured on Saturday night when he was hit on the hand by an Auston Matthews shot. Toronto is 5-3 since they acquired the former Conn Smythe winner and were hoping to acclimate him to the lineup in the months leading up to the playoffs.
For his part, O’Reilly has five points since coming over from the St. Louis Blues and has been everything Toronto was hoping for when they acquired the 32-year-old.
Timothy Liljegren To Dress Tomorrow For Toronto Maple Leafs
Although Toronto Maple Leafs defenseman Timothy Liljegren has been a healthy scratch for the past two games, it appears as though he will return to the lineup tomorrow night against the New Jersey Devils. TSN’s Mark Masters is reporting that Liljegren will pair alongside Morgan Rielly as head coach Sheldon Keefe moves back to a 12-6 alignment.
Scratching Liljegren seemed unlikely just as a few months ago after he went eight straight games without being on the ice for a 5v5 goal against. Liljegren was even profiled in a piece from Luke Fox of Sportsnet a few days after he assisted on a Mitch Marner OT game winning goal against the New York Rangers. In the article, Keefe and Liljegren’s teammates praised his steady play, and his ability to make reads in the offensive zone.
However, the former first round pick has struggled as of late with just two points in his last 12 games, including going pointless in 10 straight. This drop in play coincided with multiple roster moves that left the young Swedish defenseman on the outside looking in when the dust of the trade deadline settled.
Liljegren will now have another opportunity to show that he belongs on the ice and not in the press box, as he pairs up with top defenseman Rielly. Keefe also said it is possible that Liljegren will see time on the powerplay, a role that he has not seen much of this year having played just 20 powerplay minutes all season long.
Toronto Maple Leafs To Place Ryan O’Reilly On LTIR, Recall Two
12:57 p.m.: It’s the worst-case scenario for the Maple Leafs. Head coach Sheldon Keefe told reporters today that O’Reilly will be placed on long-term injured reserve with a broken finger, with no timeline for his return. However, TSN’s Mark Masters notes the team expects him back before the playoffs. O’Reilly had three goals and five points in eight games with Toronto since he was acquired from the St. Louis Blues in advance of the trade deadline.
Tavares, on the other hand, will not play tomorrow as a precaution, as he’s “not feeling himself.” Keefe told reporters the team is “mindful” that Tavares received some hard hits in the Canucks game, but attributes his absence to a flu bug going around the room and a tough travel schedule. He noted Tavares felt good after practice and that he’s on track to return to the lineup this weekend against the Edmonton Oilers.
12:20 p.m.: With injuries beginning to mount, the Toronto Maple Leafs announced the recalls of forwards Alex Steeves and Pontus Holmberg from the AHL’s Toronto Marlies on Monday.
The recalls come as injuries have affected two of Toronto’s top centers, although their severity is unknown at the time of writing. Ryan O’Reilly was absent from practice this morning after he took a puck to the hand in Toronto’s Saturday loss to the Vancouver Canucks, while John Tavares was an extra after he was the recipient of a hard hit from Canucks defenseman Tyler Myers in the same game.
A corresponding transaction will need to be made before 4 p.m. CT today, as the two recalls would put Toronto more than $800K over the salary cap.
For Holmberg, it’s a chance to build on a strong start to his NHL career earlier in the season. Although he was pushed down the depth chart with Toronto’s trade deadline acquisitions, he’d been an effective depth piece for the Leafs, recording five goals and 13 points in 36 games while providing solid defensive play. The 2018 sixth-round pick is in his first season in North America after back-to-back standout campaigns with the SHL’s Växjö Lakers HC.
Steeves, 23, is second on the Marlies in scoring, with 44 points in 53 games, and earns his second recall of the season after an emergency call-up in February. The undrafted free agent signing out of Notre Dame has five appearances with the Maple Leafs over the past two seasons, recording his first NHL assist in the process.
Poll: Who Won The 2023 Trade Deadline Week?
The 2023 NHL Trade Deadline has come and gone, with most of the action spread among the days leading up to last Friday. Playoff contenders were as active as ever, with an eyebrow-raising 13 first-round picks dealt in the weeks leading up to the deadline. With so much activity, though, it’s difficult to immediately say which team (and which general manager) came out on top.
First off, the world-beating Boston Bruins made a pair of significant deals with conference rivals. Their biggest acquisition came in the form of Dmitry Orlov from the Washington Capitals, who had been quietly one of the best defensive defenders in the league over the past few years. His two-way play has made an immediate impact, recording three goals and nine points in just five games with the Bruins since the trade, already doubling his goal total on the season. The team also acquired a pair of aggressive forwards, Tyler Bertuzzi and Garnet Hathaway, who seem to fit seamlessly into the tapestry of a quintessential Bruins lineup.
However, their Atlantic Division rivals were some of the most active teams on the market too. No team made more additions to their roster than the Toronto Maple Leafs, who added a significant complement of defensive-minded skaters in Ryan O’Reilly, Noel Acciari, Jake McCabe, Sam Lafferty, and Luke Schenn while also adding some power-play depth in the form of defenseman Erik Gustafsson. Like Boston, they were able to avoid parting with a top prospect in the process, although young NHLer Rasmus Sandin, already off to a strong start with his new team, the Washington Capitals, was a casualty of the roster crunch.
The Tampa Bay Lightning, looking to make a fourth straight Stanley Cup Final, made one of the most controversial moves of the deadline by parting with five draft picks in exchange for depth winger Tanner Jeannot. They also made some salary cap flexibility by swapping Vladislav Namestnikov for Michael Eyssimont, who’s provided some quiet upside in his first extended NHL opportunities with the Winnipeg Jets and San Jose Sharks.
The best forward on the market on the market was undoubtedly Timo Meier, who the New Jersey Devils landed to complete a formidable top-six forward group alongside Jack Hughes, Nico Hischier, Jesper Bratt, Dawson Mercer, and Tomas Tatar. The 26-year-old is amidst his second consecutive 30-goal season and is a powerful two-way force. They also acquired Curtis Lazar in a minor deal with the Vancouver Canucks to improve their fourth line.
No team made more star-studded acquisitions than the New York Rangers, not unexpected from one of the most aggressive front offices in the league. A pair of veteran stars headed their way in the form of Vladimir Tarasenko and Patrick Kane, who the Rangers hope will enjoy some revitalization alongside a more robust core on Broadway. It looks like that’s happened so far for Tarasenko, who’s scored four goals and nine points in 12 games as a Ranger. Kane is still looking for his first point and has a -4 rating in two contests since the trade.
It was one team out of the playoff picture, though, that may have made the most effective roster improvement. The Ottawa Senators acquired defenseman Jakob Chychrun from the Arizona Coyotes for a trio of draft picks, filling a gigantic hole in their defensive makeup. Now 7-2-1 in their past 10 games, the acquisition of Chychrun (under contract through 2025) gives the Senators a fighting chance at making the playoffs for the first time since advancing to the Eastern Conference Final in 2017.
It’s up to you, PHR readers, to decide who they think had the best overall haul at this year’s deadline. Cast your vote and let us know who you think came out on top.
Trade Deadline Roundup: Eastern Conference
While trade deadline day was largely a dud in itself, that was because so many moves were made in the days leading up to March 3rd. With that in mind, here is a recap of the trades made in the Eastern Conference in the ten days leading up to deadline day to show who all moved where in what was a busy trade period overall. Players and picks that were acquired and then flipped are only noted for their final destination.
Boston Bruins
Acquired: F Shane Bowers, F Tyler Bertuzzi, F Garnet Hathaway, D Dmitry Orlov, F Andrei Svetlakov
Traded: G Keith Kinkaid, F Craig Smith, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 fifth-round pick, 2024 first-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2025 second-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick
Buffalo Sabres
Acquired: F Jordan Greenway, D Riley Stillman, D Austin Strand, 2023 third-round pick (LA), 2025 seventh-round pick (NSH)
Traded: F Rasmus Asplund, F Josh Bloom, F Anders Bjork, G Erik Portillo, D Chase Priskie, 2023 second-round pick (VGK), 2024 fifth-round pick
Carolina Hurricanes
Acquired: D Shayne Gostisbehere, F Jesse Puljujarvi
Traded: F Patrik Puistola, 2026 third-round pick
Columbus Blue Jackets
Acquired: G Jon Gillies, G Michael Hutchinson, 2023 first-round pick (LA), 2023 fifth-round pick (BOS), 2024 third-round pick (LA), 2025 seventh-round pick (VGK)
Traded: D Vladislav Gavrikov, G Joonas Korpisalo, F Gustav Nyquist, Jakub Voracek, 2023 sixth-round pick
Detroit Red Wings
Acquired: F Dylan McLaughlin, 2023 first-round pick (NYI), 2023 second-round pick (VAN), 2023 fourth-round pick (MIN), 2024 first-round pick (BOS), 2025 fourth-round pick (BOS), 2025 seventh-round pick (STL)
Traded: F Tyler Bertuzzi, D Filip Hronek, F Oskar Sundqvist, F Jakub Vrana
Florida Panthers
No trades made
Montreal Canadiens
Acquired: D Frederic Allard, F Denis Gurianov, D Tony Sund, 2024 fifth-round pick (SJ)
Traded: F Evgenii Dadonov, D Arvid Henrikson, F Nate Schnarr
New Jersey Devils
Acquired: G Zacharie Emond, F Timur Ibragimov, F Curtis Lazar, F Timo Meier, D Santeri Hatakka, 2024 fifth-round pick (COL)
Traded: F Andreas Johnsson, D Shakir Mukhamadullin, D Nikita Okhotyuk, F Fabian Zetterlund, 2023 first-round pick, 2024 second-round pick, 2024 fourth-round pick, 2024 seventh-round pick
New York Islanders
Acquired: F Pierre Engvall
Traded: 2024 third-round pick
New York Rangers
Acquired: F Anton Blidh, D Wyatt Kalynuk, F Patrick Kane, F William Lockwood, D Cooper Zech, 2026 seventh-round pick (VAN)
Traded: F Vitali Kravtsov, F Austin Rueschhoff, F Gustav Rydahl, D Andy Welinski, 2023 second-round pick, 2025 third-round pick, 2025 fourth-round pick
Ottawa Senators
Acquired: F Patrick Brown, D Jakob Chychrun
Traded: D Nikita Zaitsev, 2023 first-round pick, 2023 second-round pick, 2023 sixth-round pick, 2024 second-round pick, 2026 second-round pick, 2026 fourth-round pick
Philadelphia Flyers
Acquired: F Brendan Lemieux, 2023 sixth-round pick (OTT), 2024 fourth-round pick (LA)
Traded: F Patrick Brown, F Zack MacEwen, F Isaac Ratcliffe
Pittsburgh Penguins
Acquired: F Nick Bonino, F Peter DiLiberatore, F Mikael Granlund, D Dmitry Kulikov, 2024 third-round pick (VGK)
Traded: F Teddy Blueger, F Brock McGinn, 2023 second-round pick, 2023 seventh-round pick, 2024 third-round pick, 2024 fifth-round pick
Tampa Bay Lightning
Acquired: F Michael Eyssimont, F Tanner Jeannot
Traded: D Cal Foote, F Vladislav Namestnikov, 2023 third-round pick, 2023 fourth-round pick, 2023 fifth-round pick, 2024 second-round pick, 2025 first-round pick
Toronto Maple Leafs
Acquired: D Erik Gustafsson, F Sam Lafferty, D Jake McCabe, D Luke Schenn, F Radim Zohorna, 2023 first-round pick (BOS), 2024 third-round pick (NYI), 2024 fifth-round pick (CHI), 2025 fifth-round pick (CHI)
Traded: F Joey Anderson, F Pierre Engvall, F Pavel Gogolev, F Dryden Hunt, D Rasmus Sandin, 2023 third-round pick, 2025 first-round pick, 2026 second-round pick
Washington Capitals
Acquired: D Rasmus Sandin, F Craig Smith, 2024 third-round pick (BOS), 2024 third-round pick (MIN), 2025 second-round pick (BOS), 2025 second-round pick (COL)
Traded: F Lars Eller, D Erik Gustafsson, F Garnet Hathaway, F Marcus Johansson, D Dmitry Orlov
Maple Leafs Expected To Activate Matt Murray
- The Toronto Maple Leafs are expected to activate Matt Murray ahead of tomorrow night’s game, and start him against the Vancouver Canucks. The team left themselves just enough room to bring the injured goaltender back from long-term injured reserve and sign prospect Matthew Knies at the end of his college season—should he decide to turn pro. Murray hasn’t played since January 17, and has a .911 save percentge on the year.
Calgary Flames Acquire Dryden Hunt
After losing four straight going into the deadline, the Calgary Flames will make a depth addition to the forward group. Shayna Goldman of The Athletic reports that Dryden Hunt will head to Calgary—his fourth team of this season. Darren Dreger of TSN adds that Radim Zohorna will be the return for the Toronto Maple Leafs.
Starting with the New York Rangers, Hunt was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Avalanche, traded to the Maple Leafs, and now sent to Calgary at the deadline. He has scored exactly one goal at each of his previous stops, playing three games for New York, 25 for Colorado, and nine for Toronto before clearing waivers to play in the minor leagues.
Hunt, 27, has scored just 15 goals in his 202-game NHL career, but adds speed and physical play to a fourth line. That’s the kind of thing Darryl Sutter teams love, meaning he’ll likely be in the lineup every night for the Flames moving forward.
His acquisition was basically free, given Zohorna was claimed off waivers earlier this season as well. The 6’6″ center has been playing with the Calgary Wranglers in the AHL, scoring 29 points in 40 games. In Toronto, he’ll likely stay in the minor leagues and serve as emergency depth, given how many forwards they have for their playoff run.